Using ground probes in aquariums

[wil-yuhm]

I wonder how that idiot would feel if he was water boarded to circulatory failure and then revived with a bare lamp cord... good grief what is wrong with people.

I agree.

 

[Steve Zee]

Yeah - can't have nuisance trips on life-safety devices. Whole different ball of wax in an ER or ICU.

Exactly! It also doesn’t help that human body is much more conductive on the inside. Maybe the surgeon should just place a grounding probe next to the kidneys when operating. Lol!

 

[wil-yuhm]

In fresh water - a grounded probe is out of questions. If you get fields in freshwater - the current will go through the body of the fish because the conductivity is higher than the surrounding water - electrofishing. In saltwater - the water have much higher conductivity than the body - the current gooses outside the body - no harm to the fish.

Sincerely Lasse

Pertinent I hope. Effects of electricity on fish. Sometimes electrofishing methods are used to clear schools of undesirable fish:

 

[gbroadbridge]

Pertinent I hope. Effects of electricity on fish. Sometimes electrofishing methods are used to clear schools of undesirable fish:

Dinner kids!

 

[wil-yuhm]

I think BeanAnimal covered the question perfectly. A simplified way to look at it is the "the bird on a wire" scenario. Very hard for the bird to ground itself when so far away. When a grounded source (opportunity to ground) is placed in near proximity then it becomes more dangerous for you. The good news is that a GFCI will protect you if you have a grounding probe. That's why it's especially imperative to have a GFCI with a grounding probe.

Couldn't resist:



This trick was patented by ®Tesla!
GE disagrees!

 

[wil-yuhm]

Exactly! It also doesn’t help that human body is much more conductive on the inside. Maybe the surgeon should just place a grounding probe next to the kidneys when operating. Lol!

Kinda funny until ECT therapy.
Everything was made funny thereafter!

 

[Lasse]

I have been electrofishing in small streams - I know how its feel when a 1 kg rainbow trout hit your shoulder when its try to escape the field. But in saltwater - its another question. It needs be very high fields - so high that you do not get it with aquarium equipment's.

But for me - is a non important question because I have only one high voltage AC (240 V) piece of equipment in my aquarium (or near) Everything else is 12V - 24 V DC. The 240 V device is a titanium heater and its grounded by construction. DC equipment often "leak" very low fields and you can get an initiating "itch" if you put your hands into the aquarium - no danger but not so pleasant. After connected my titan probe to a grounded socket - these small fields disappear. A grounded titan heater (and it SHOULD be grounded) act as ground probe!

Sincerely Lasse

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Hi all, I’m having a bit of a confusing situation going on that I need some help understanding.

I recently felt a strong tingle when working in the frag tank and bare feet on concrete. I am usually wearing shoes so never feel a tingle. I did a bit of diagnosing and realized that I am feeling the tingle only when the titanium heaters and or chiller are plugged in. I know from previous experience troubleshooting stray voltage a few years ago that both of these items act as grounding probes. What I mean by that is that I do not read any stray voltage on the voltmeter when either of these items are plugged in. Currently I am only reading about 1 V stray voltage when these items are unplugged and I do not feel the tingle until they are plugged in. I should also mention that these items are plugged into an Apex energy bar and the respective outlets are powered off. So these items are not energized when I am feeling the tingle.

What this is indicating to me is that the Source of the tingle is actually coming from my homes ground through these devices and into the tank. These devices are importing voltage into the tank rather than grounding it out. Does that make sense?

Does this indicate something wrong with the wiring in my home? And is there anything I can do about this other than swapping out the titanium heaters for glass and keeping the chiller unplugged when it isn’t needed? Or do I have this all wrong and something else is going on entirely?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all, I’m having a bit of a confusing situation going on that I need some help understanding.

I recently felt a strong tingle when working in the frag tank and bare feet on concrete. I am usually wearing shoes so never feel a tingle. I did a bit of diagnosing and realized that I am feeling the tingle only when the titanium heaters and or chiller are plugged in. I know from previous experience troubleshooting stray voltage a few years ago that both of these items act as grounding probes. What I mean by that is that I do not read any stray voltage on the voltmeter when either of these items are plugged in. Currently I am only reading about 1 V stray voltage when these items are unplugged and I do not feel the tingle until they are plugged in. I should also mention that these items are plugged into an Apex energy bar and the respective outlets are powered off. So these items are not energized when I am feeling the tingle.

What this is indicating to me is that the Source of the tingle is actually coming from my homes ground through these devices and into the tank. These devices are importing voltage into the tank rather than grounding it out. Does that make sense?

Does this indicate something wrong with the wiring in my home? And is there anything I can do about this other than swapping out the titanium heaters for glass and keeping the chiller unplugged when it isn’t needed? Or do I have this all wrong and something else is going on entirely?

You have a source of voltage leakage in which water and electricity do not mix and you are the ground. A ground probe will offer a safety but not a resolution. You want to start with sump and unplug return pump. If it stops- thats your culprit. If tingle still present, plug return pump back in. If there is a heater, do the same. If tingle still there and no other electrical components, go to tank and start with power heads and so forth until you locate source

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

You have a source of voltage leakage in which water and electricity do not mix and you are the ground. A ground probe will offer a safety but not a resolution. You want to start with sump and unplug return pump. If it stops- thats your culprit. If tingle still present, plug return pump back in. If there is a heater, do the same. If tingle still there and no other electrical components, go to tank and start with power heads and so forth until you locate source

Yes, I’m familiar with basic stray voltage troubleshooting. What I’m saying is, the chiller and titanium heaters are the source of the tingle, and they are providing the tingle even when the outlet they are plugged into is powered off. What I think this means is my home ground is the source of the tingle via these two grounded items.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yes, I’m familiar with basic stray voltage troubleshooting. What I’m saying is, the chiller and titanium heaters are the source of the tingle, and they are providing the tingle even when the outlet they are plugged into is powered off. What I think this means is my home ground is the source of the tingle via these two grounded items.

Gotcha and i would check the ground with a meter

 

[BeanAnimal]

What this is indicating to me is that the Source of the tingle is actually coming from my homes ground through these devices and into the tank. These devices are importing voltage into the tank rather than grounding it out. Does that make sense?

No - it does not make sense, but is easily checked. Potential between two ‘ground’ points can exist and current will flow. Drive 2 rods into a field some distance apart and connect them to a meter, current is likely going to flow.


You can’t really measure ‘stray’ voltage the way you are trying. Do you get a voltage reading from neutral to the same ground that the heat or chiller is plugged into? Between the grounds on those receptacles? You may have a fault somewhere else on the circuit or in the power bar, etc. You can check this with a GFCI.

 

[mike550]

Yes, I’m familiar with basic stray voltage troubleshooting. What I’m saying is, the chiller and titanium heaters are the source of the tingle, and they are providing the tingle even when the outlet they are plugged into is powered off. What I think this means is my home ground is the source of the tingle via these two grounded items.

Sounds like something bad happening at the outlet. Get one of those outlet testers and see what it shows.