FYI: Tangs

[sw65galma]

Here is a few things about tangs everyone should know.
And feel free to add on.
Tangs Min Tanks size should be 75gals, Pref 100+
A few REQUIRE more.
You should ALWAYS have a grounding Probe to make sure you do not have Stray Voltage in your water, as tangs are very sensitve.
If you have a powerhead or heater in your water, chances are you have some stray voltage. You can test this out by taking a volt meter and putting the red led in your water and the black lead to the middle round pin on an electrical outlet.
Also when mixing tangs, it's best to introduce them at the same time. Also Make sure that one is bigger than the other. That way one will be the dominant...much like clowns and they won't fight.
Also may sure that you do NOT introduce the same species. (there are exceptions to this rule, but just a good guideline to follow for newbies)
Yellow tangs change colors for various reasons. One is mainly at night, they turn white or brown to blend in with thier surrounding...so they don't stick out like a sore thumb at night.
Another reason is stress, they are very suseptible to HLLEE, (You can look up more on that in the disease forum)
Things you can feed your tang, Freeze Dried Nori, Kelp, Froozen Kelp, Formula one and two Flakes and Freezed Cubes, Red Kelp, Mysis Shrimp.
Last but not least...Tangs can live 70+ Years, so don't think just because someone has had one for 1 year in a small tank...all is well.

 

[supalupa]

Wanted to get a grounding probe based on this post but when searching to buy one came across this article. http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM...ingProbes.html
Now I am confused as to wether it would be a good idea or bad idea to get one. Can anyone help on this subject?

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by supalupa
Wanted to get a grounding probe based on this post but when searching to buy one came across this article. http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM...ingProbes.html
Now I am confused as to wether it would be a good idea or bad idea to get one. Can anyone help on this subject?
I just read it and it made sense to me too!!! After reading that, I would definatelly NOT use a grounding probe and fix any problem with any pump or heater instead!!! Thanks so much for finding that information for people like me!!!!!

:happyfish

 

[symon]

It makes sense to me, Your basiclly giving the stray voltage someplace to go! which will in turn probably harm your fish! I would think that if you suspect stray voltage in your tank, Test your items out, and replace as needed!

 

[maeistero]

supalupa with the year old bump!!! good to see someone researching, other's can learn from you.
my take on this is that it's a direct trade-off. on one hand i wouldn't want the trace metals in my water, but on the other hand my electrical appliances always seem to fry when i'm not there and very suddenly. the ground would have saved me from quite a few junk heaters.
one question i have is that if all of your stuff is kept in the sump, how much of that electricity would transfer to the display? now i have to go get new leads for my voltmeter today.

 

[pfitz44]

Heres my input:
Use a grounding probe ONLY if you have a GFCB or GFCI installed. That way, if there is stray voltage, it will not harm the fish, but trip the breaker. Be aware that you may ger what some people call "nucience" (sp) tripping, but it trips for a reason.
On the whole Stray voltage thing:
Testing the water to ground is NOT going to give you what the fish feel. Take both probes and move them around in the water to see if there is a difference in voltage in the water. Think about it this way: Your in a crane and you knock over some powerlines. Your screwed right? WRONG! because your feet are so close together, the voltage difference between the two, or step voltage as its called, in neglible, and sometimes zero. This way you take very very small steps (swimming) and you reach saftey.
See what im saying?
~Fitzy

 

[drea]

i run a probe w/ no breaker.... is that ok? i have a heater and 2 powerheads

 

[pfitz44]

IMHO:No. Definitly need atleast a GF Plug

 

[supalupa]

I'm concerned with this quote in the article "So what are you doing when you add a grounding probe to your aquarium? You are providing a current path that might not already exist. Any fish between the source and the grounding probe will experience a current flowing through their bodies... not good!"
Based on this part of the article what I will probably do is get the grounding probe and put it next to my power head and where the water returns from my sump that has the heater in it.
What do you think?
I will also install the GFI outlet based on all your info.

 

[pfitz44]

If you install the GFI outlet, then you will be fine... put it anywere... it will trip at the smallest sign of stray voltage.

 

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by PFitz44
If you install the GFI outlet, then you will be fine... put it anywere... it will trip at the smallest sign of stray voltage.
No, it will not. It will trip out based on the internal settings on the device. Such as how much over current its supposed to take, then it will trip out. Not at the slightest spike. Once the unit is totally grounded out, your GFCI will be interupted.

 

[pfitz44]

Diagree. They will sence the mismatch of incomming vs outgoing....
http://www.leviton.com/pdfs/gfci/GFCI_Brochure.pdf
There is Levitons spec sheet of a GFI plug.

Here is a graph that illistrates the UL Maximums.... at 6mA, it will trip in about 6 seconds.

 

[supalupa]

What is the sense of having a ground probe plugged into a GFI if at the slightest bit of a problem the outlet trips out and the probe doesnt protect the fish?

 

[saltfan]

You can disagree all you want to, do you really understand how these things work bro? They have to be hard grounded out. Thats how they trip, thats why they are used in the kitchen and bathrooms, hard water grounded out Hot to ground, hot to common. You are talking about plugging in a probe to check for stray voltage...They don't work that way.