Do you have an open outlet on the power strip that the pumps are plugged into? If so, I would test the ground there.I tested my sump and got 34v. The multimeter was plugged into the ground on a powerstrip plugged into a gfci outlet (wasn't tripping). So would a ground probe remove the 34v? Wouldn't I be seriously shocked at 34v? I never have been and have stuck my hand in the tank many times.
The meter won't reach that far, but I don't see why that would be better, if anything it would skew the reading with interference from the pump plug and others. I'm testing the water not the pumps connection. Am I missing something?
I know they said it was fresh water, but their testing wouldn't have worked if the water was "too fresh". It had to have had enough salt/contaminants in it to be fairly conductive. He also showed a lack of basic electrical knowledge a few times but not in any overly important way. Outside of his using the Birds on a Wire analogy which absolutely does not apply in a saltwater tank. And yes, not all voltage is created equal.
He didn't provide enough information in his video to figure out what is going on. I know people have been shocked in the top part of their tanks when they turn their return pumps off because the continuity of water between them and the ground probe is broken. There was a recent case where a guy got shocked by a ground probe because the outlet he plugged it into didn't actually have a ground wire run to it. I've also seen power strips where the ground connection was failed.
I guess I never answered these directly.
It isn't the simplest concept to grasp which is why so many people struggle with it. Yes, the 34V you measured will go away with a ground probe, no issues. Yes, you can get the 34V from properly functioning equipment or faulted equipment but the impact of either would only be felt by you, not your fish. This is where the bird on a wire analogy goes wrong. That analogy works because the air around the bird is an insulator. Marine fish live in a conductive environment. They are more resistive than the water around them so the current will flow around them, not through them. You are more conductive than the air around you, so current will flow through you, not around you. This is why electrofishing doesn't work in the ocean. If it did, this would be how marine fish were collected for this hobby.
I'm not sure if voltage can stress corals. As far as I know, the lateral lines on fish are all at least partially sensitive to voltage. I feel that voltage is more of a factor than current in a tank. But, I'm speculating there.
K great, thanks. Can I test if a ground is properly grounded with my multimeter? It says to have an electrician do that on the package lol.
Take a resistance reading from the neutral prong to the ground prong on a receptacle. They should be less than 0.5 ohms. If it is you are likely ok. The warning sign would be if some of your lights get brighter when your HVAC unit or electric clothes dryer starts. Those are signs that your neutral has disconnected from ground.
I wouldn't trust that method as much but it is another way to do something similar. The idea is that if the ground is bonded to neutral then you should get the exact same voltage from hot to ground as you get from hot to neutral.
Ok, thanks for all of your help.
Glad to help!
Fantastic!
