Polarity doesn't matter. The only difference is that the display will indicate negative or positive depending on how you arrange the probes. But the reading will be the same.
Might have missed it and I apologize if it was already discussed but did we determine if the wall outlet is properly grounded?
I had an issue where I moved my tank and started getting shocked because the outlet wasn't grounded. Once the outlet ground was connected, the shocks stopped. Found this AFTER chasing and replacing equipment.