Hygger heater spilling electricity into tank

[Brassmonkey]

Had this heater for about a year and I just put it back in my tank since it's getting a little chilly at night. I live in eastern NC so it doesn't get all that cold that often. I just noticed when I put my finger in the tank I felt a bit of a zap. So I started unplugging all my equipment and found it to be the heater. I have a fluval for a backup that I'm going to put in. Was just wondering what the effect of having all that electrical current going through the tank is?

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Bad, very bad. Tore fish fins, fish acting very erratic as they are getting slowly electrocuted, etc. Have to question why you would put something in a tank that you know is defective? Go buy a cheap heater and forget it.

 

[Brassmonkey]

Bad, very bad. Tore fish fins, fish acting very erratic as they are getting slowly electrocuted, etc. Have to question why you would put something in a tank that you know is defective? Go buy a cheap heater and forget it.

I have definitely noticed fish acting erratic. Also I didn't know it was defective until recently today.

 

[Brassmonkey]

I have definitely noticed fish acting erratic. Also I didn't know it was defective until recently today.

I don't know why you would think I would do that? I discovered the problem just earlier and found out what it was.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

I don't know why you would think I would do that? I discovered the problem just earlier and found out what it was.

Apologies, I thought you said you knew it was bad and put it in. I misread that sentence.

 

[Brassmonkey]

Apologies, I thought you said you knew it was bad and put it in. I misread that sentence.

Thank you. I took it out once I found out what the problem was.

 

[Spare time]

I always recommend an aquarium grounding probe after I had a similar issue at once point. I'd also get a heater controller.

 

[mtraylor]

It can cause HLLE

 

[CoralB]

Like spare time said get a grounding probe and a controller but unlike hurricane aquatics said I don’t recommend buying buy a cheap heater unless that’s all you can afford , buy one of good quality. The probe could also safe a life . I replace my heaters once a year regardless

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Like spare time said get a grounding probe and a controller but unlike hurricane aquatics said I don’t recommend buying buy a cheap heater unless that’s all you can afford , buy one of good quality. The probe could also safe a life . I replace my heaters once a year regardless

Meh, I buy cheap heaters... but I do plan for obsolescence, yearly. I've had them ALL fail, for the most part!

 

[LeftyReefer]

Which Hygger heater did you have? Is it one of their titanium heater rods?

 

[Spare time]

It can cause HLLE

Maybe. No one, as far as I'm aware has experimental evidence for that. So it wouldn't be right to say it can cause HLLE.

 

[mtraylor]

Not sure just because you dont know anyone constitutes up to anything. But yes i have seen several articles listing what is thought to cause it.

Unfortunately i recently removed my yellow tang from display rhatvi have had for over 14 years and put into qt tank. I couldnt figure out why he was eradically jumping every now and then. It was stray voltage from pump i put in there. It gave him HLLE. Researched and read allot of articles and people's experiences on it. It's unfortunate and I hope it doesn't scar him. Anyway I'm documenting here from my experience. Threw the pump away.

Personally i would not want to see anyone torturing fish by shocking them on purpose to document HLLE. JMO

 

[exnisstech]

I always hear about stray electricity affecting fish. I have 2 hydor koralia power heads that leak electricity. One puts 48 volts into the water and one puts 50 volts. Of course I pulled them once I got the crap shocked put of me and I almost fell off a chair that I was standing on. Thing is there was absolutely nothing strange about the behavior of any livestock. I will admit I don't know how long they were leaking current but I suspect long enough some signs should have been shown if it was was affecting them. I asked once if anyone had any actual proof or first hand experience with stray voltage actually causing issues and no one replied. I have doubts as the fish are not grounded but I'm no expert.

 

[mtraylor]

LOL. Trust me if you submerge yourself in a big body of water swimming around with the fish sort of speak. You and the fish will not want to be around with live voltage and or anything creating a current.

 

[exnisstech]

LOL. Trust me if you submerge yourself in a big body of water swimming around with the fish sort of speak. You and the fish will not want to be around with live voltage and or anything creating a current.

Oh I know I felt it but the fish were swimming around like normal. I was standing on a metal chair. Also the meter had to be grounded to house wiring to get a reading. Both probes in the tank 0 volts untill a ground was introduced. I'm not always to sharp so am probably just not getting it. Heck I'm so dumb I still use the powerheads to heads mix salt and get zapped when I forget and stick my hand in the water. I am smart enough not to suck on the hose to start the syphon tho

 

[Spare time]

Not sure just because you dont know anyone constitutes up to anything. But yes i have seen several articles listing what is thought to cause it.

Unfortunately i recently removed my yellow tang from display rhatvi have had for over 14 years and put into qt tank. I couldnt figure out why he was eradically jumping every now and then. It was stray voltage from pump i put in there. It gave him HLLE. Researched and read allot of articles and people's experiences on it. It's unfortunate and I hope it doesn't scar him. Anyway I'm documenting here from my experience. Threw the pump away.

Personally i would not want to see anyone torturing fish by shocking them on purpose to document HLLE. JMO

Saying I don't know anyone means that its not a 100% confident statement as I don't like to make those. It means I am open to changing but in the search for experimental or even correlational (+ statistical) evidence on the topic nothing has come up. It doesn't mean "just because I don't know therefore its not true." Again, you are using absolute statements which you can't make (due to pracitcal data reasons and also best practice philosophy of science issues). You are making the famous post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. What is "thought" to cause something holds nothing for evidence of a causal relationship. I am stating this because the fallacy mentioned is the most common "science" related issue in this hobby.