Do you use a grounding probe?

reef fool

reef fool

Active Member
Was just wondering if the majority of reefers use a grounding probe in their tanks and is one required in both the display and the sump/refugium?
 
reef fool

reef fool

Active Member
I put one in my display tank during an ich breakout a couple of months ago. Not sure if it was the remedy because I also ran a UV and fed with garlic extract daily and haven't seen it on any of my fish since!
Hey! this post makes me a sohal tang! wahoooo!
 
tru conch

tru conch

Active Member
ive got one on my large tank in the overflow box. seems to be helping b/c ive had zero problems with latteral line disease.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
I'm with you, in the sump where the electrical devices are.
Thomas
 
goatfish

goatfish

Member
If you really think about it is common sense to use one when combining electricity and water for your own sake and for your livestock. Having all that electricity running through your tank must be like living under high voltage power lines for your fish.
 
banshee

banshee

Member
I don't know about that. I used to get shocked when I put my arms in the tank when I didn't have one. Now that I do, I don't get shocked anymore.
 
snowbear

snowbear

Member

Originally posted by Banshee
I don't know about that. I used to get shocked when I put my arms in the tank when I didn't have one. Now that I do, I don't get shocked anymore.
Banshee - if you were getting shocked when you stuck your arms in the tank I would advise you to find out why!! Most likely there is a short in some electrical appliance in the water!! The ground probe gives another path for the current to flow (rather than through your arms, body and to ground), but most likely the problem still exists.
As to ground probes protecting a person if there is a short - I would much rather rely on a GFCI outlet or breaker that takes a much smaller current to trip it than a normal 15 or 20 amp house current breaker. If these trip, it's a sign of a problem that needs to be tracked down. In other words, if a pump shorts out or a light fixture falls in the tank, the circuit will trip. If you rely only on a ground probe or regular circuit breaker, it may not stop the current that flows through the water!
Oh, yeah - I don't think it would necessarily be a bad thing to have a ground probe, as long as it's in addition to a GFCI protected circuit.
 
coral boy

coral boy

Member
I think a grounding probe is for our sake not for the fish.If we have a short in our tank and we stick our hands in there then we become the grounding probe. I will always use one
 
slick

slick

Active Member
I don't use one either. What are the odds of something going bad when your hands are in the tank? Your hands should not be in there much anyway.
 
coral boy

coral boy

Member
This is one i found on another board
This is why you should ues a GFCI
I almost died from not having a GFCI!!!
Well Well Well... This has been a VERY bad day... It started out fine...
Visited Tri-City Tropical Fish and got 5 gallons fresh water to top my sump off and 5 gallons saltwater to do a water change on ym 75 gallon reef...
It was an odd day, most of there corals were sick and most of their tanks looked empty. So, got my water soem krill and left...
Went home, topped the water off, waited an horu before a water change, did that then wanted to add some new carbon to the sump.
Then, I noticed the tubeing on the return pump was loose, so I was going to tighten it but was messing with my carbon. Then, my elbow or something hit the tubing splashed up on my 440 watt VHO ballast sent a electrical charge down into the sump where my hands were forced to stay. My head hit the tank and I was yelling for help. I could NOT move my body!!!
My mom was vacuming in her closent and could barely hear me yelling. By that time I was forced from the sump, hit my bed post and got up and started unplugging everything, limping.... I was shaking....
So.... everything is still off, and drying... I am very lucky that the power didn't go up into the main tank and kill everything...
Usually if enough volts or for a long time people have had their skin melted off from things such as this.
I am tommorow testing thr VHO lights, which I think have blown as well as the pump. I hope HelloLights will help me out.
I will also be getting a GFCI and a Grounding probe....
I still cna abrely move my arms and my legg which must have been shocked...
This was horrible and I was almost close to death... All I could see is some of my fish swimmign behidn the rocks and the corals closeing up.... I thought they had all gone...
So, I will be putting all electrical plugs away from the tank and wrapped a tube or such so they can't get wet... This was horrible...
I could not even move or nearly yell! Something forced me away... My hands were veyr purple after but slowly wen't back to normal...
It was even worse in person...
Rock Anemone
 
j21kickster

j21kickster

Active Member
you should always have a GFI switch- But a gfi isnt the samething as a grounding probe- A probe is something that you actually put into the tank- A gfi is located on the outlet where you plug in your eguipment- it acts as a mini circut breaker whereas a probe works by providing a way for electricity to leave the tank= but im not convinced that they work-
 
coral boy

coral boy

Member
j21kickster
if your talking to me Yes i do know the difference between the two I was talking about a GFI because i think it is more important then a grounding probe but you should have both....JMO
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Wire nightmare? think about using those automotive cable harnesses just to clean things up?
Thomas
 
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