Yellow Tang and stray voltage

[DiverDave32]

I purchased a yellow tang a few months back and he was doing great in quarantine. Performed TTM, waited another three weeks and into the DT he went. Before introduction, I noticed that my Tibicen's face was a little pale. My Tibecen started attacking the tang upon introduction to the tank but that stopped after a day or so. The Tangs fins were however getting torn and I thought the Tibecen was attacking the tang when I wasn't watching. After research, it appered to be more likely HLLE.

Two days ago, I was working on my sump and got a nice jolt. I thought it was perhaps the new ATK that I put but wasn't sure so decided to test for stray voltage. When I tested, I found that there was 80 volts in the tank! I tested the different equipment and found that one of the powerheads which I have discarded was the cause as upon removal the voltage dropped to 8 volts.

I will see how the tang and other tank mates respond but in your opinion, do you think the stray voltage could be the cause for the tangs condition and the Tibicen's? Would it affect any other livestock, inverts, corals?

Thanks for the feedback.

Dave

 

[Dmorty217]

Stray voltage will definitely cause HLLE

 

[DiverDave32]

Thanks for the response. Hope he recovers quickly!

Will add checking for stray voltage to my routine.

 

[nereefpat]

Submerged equipment should be plugged into a GFCI receptacle.

 

[Tripod1404]

I seriously doubt stray voltage can cause issues in our tanks. That is not how electricity works.

Voltage just shows the electrical potential difference between two points, as long as there is not a "circuit" for it to flow, it cant do anything. There are pictures of people standing over tesla-coils and electrical bolts and hairs (first picture). But they wont get shocked as long as the electricity dont has somewhere to discharge to. Same way in a aquarium, ff you complete the circuit with something (like your arm), it will allow the potential difference to discharge as electrical current.

But something inside the water cannot complete the circuit. And even if it finds a way to discharge, electricity will flow through the path that has the least resistance, so it wont flow through the fish. Like the case for a faraday cage, electricity will flow through the metal, since metal has far less resistance) and leave who ever is inside the cage unharmed (second picture).

IMO the correlation between stay current and poor fish health is due to metal leaching into the water trough the circuit that makes contact with water, not the voltage itself.

 

[lagatbezan]

Submerged equipment should be plugged into a GFCI receptacle.

This ^
Everything that has to do for your tank MUST be plugged into a GFCI outlet.
A lot of people also recommend the use of a grounding probe.

 

[DiverDave32]

My equipment is connected to GFCI receptacles.

I do wonder what impact the electricity can do. I have seen sharks swarm around a diver who panicked and had his heart race which generates very small levels of current so wonder what impact the 80 volts could have on fish. In any case, the pump is removed. I hope that with my daily water changes, any leaked metals will eventually be removed from the system.

The real test will be whether or not the tang recovers quickly. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[dangros]

Is there a reason there's still 8V in the tank?

 

[Rover88]

Is there a reason there's still 8V in the tank?

Stray/ambient voltage. Not uncommon or worrisome at that level.

 

[DiverDave32]

I have also heard that it is quite normal. I will try to check individual components when I get a chance to see if one particular piece of equipment is causing it.

 

[DiverDave32]

Just a quick update but the Tang appears to be recovering nicely. Fins are growing back and white area around head receding. Not sure it was the voltage but it is also more pleasent for me to not get shocked when I put my hands in the sump.