Weird question, Fingers tingles when in tank

[mnestroy]

Okay this might be a weird question. ehhe

When I reach in my tank the tips of my fingers where I have a hang nail or cut I feel a tingling sensation.

What am i experiencing? Is it just the salt water to the tiny cuts on my fingers/hang nails etc?

Or am I feeling a very low voltage?

 

[Rays]

Nooooooooo, you have stray voltage, can be from any source, pumps, powerhead, heater, lights. You should be able to track it down by unplugging each one at a time. Should also invest in a grounding probe.

 

[drummereef]

I agree. Get a voltmeter and test for stray voltage before you have a real problem on your hands. BE CAREFUL!

 

[izzie]

I find some corals will sting you and you get that sensation. I dont think it would have to do with the salt. That would be more of a burning/stinging.
Izzie

 

[YellowDesmo998]

Is it in a GFI outlet? I would assume it would trip if it was. But it does sound like stray voltage.

 

[rustybucket145]

You are being electrocuted!! :eek2: :eek1:

I would unplug each pump, heater and filter one at a time until you no longer get that 'tingling' sensation.

Then! Replace your receptacle with a GFCI (Ground Fault) receptacle and throw away the heater/pump that was causing the short. Plug your tank into the GFCI, if it trips you haven't solved the problem.

Also, sometimes salt creep build-up on wires leading to plugs can cause this problem. If your wires have been wet several times and have a crust on them, it's time to unplug everything and give them all a good vinegar cleaning.

 

[PrivateJoker64]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9281392#post9281392 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
You are being electrocuted!! :eek2: :eek1:

Not electrocuted, shocked.
Electrocuted is when they strap you to a chair and execute you with electric current.
However, you do need GFCI's or at least a ground probe.

 

[mnestroy]

Hmmm I will do more testing when I get home, I will unplug everything and see if I get the same results.. and then plug each device in one by one...

I did purchase GFI outlet today at lunch, i'll be sure to install that

So a regular surge protector doesnt do what a GFI will?

 

[Satori]

Like drummereef said, if you have a volt meter, you can start by verifying that the tingling is in fact electrical in nature. Put one probe in the water, and the other in the ground hole of an outlet.

 

[rustybucket145]

Not electrocuted, shocked.
Electrocuted is when they strap you to a chair and execute you with electric current.

Shocked is when you look at your power bill after adding dual 400w MH's!

Electrocuted is when electrical current runs through your body seeking ground!

 

[mnestroy]

I do not have a volt meter, I supposed I could just do the good old 9Volt battery test, (touch your tongue to it, hehe)

I'll do some test tonight and let u know

thx

 

[Domboski]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9281909#post9281909 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
Shocked is when you look at your power bill after adding dual 400w MH's!

Electrocuted is when electrical current runs through your body seeking ground!

:beer:

 

[r00onmac]

i had a similar problem.. i was told it is nothing to worry about... apparently our skin has a nice ability to stop small amounts of voltage and when we get cut or something breaks our skin the voltage gets through easier.

i would check all my equipment anyway, but in my case it was a bit of voltage created by the lights over the water, not by anything in the water... nothing worth worrying about - or able to fix in any way. YES, all my stuff is plugged into a GFI

 

[techreef]

what about bacterial or toxic reactions? a month ago, I added some zoo's and a candy cane coral to my tank. before then I could work bare-armed in the tank and not have any problems. After i added these corals, one of the zoo colonies got knocked over and subsequently blown around a corner into a nook. when i would stick my bare arm into the tank during this time period (yes i have full length gloves that I use, but sometimes you just gotta have fine motor control to do stuff. ) my arm would tingle. as zoo's have some uber-power toxin in them, i attributed it to this. the sensation remained after my arms were out of the tank for 5-10 minutes too. if i would go wash my arms in the sink afterwards, the tingling would go away. Our tanks are such a sludge of bacteria and chemicals, it wouldn't surprise me at all if mnestroy was experiencing a biological reaction.

anyway, it's a second option.