Got Electrocuted

[andrewjardin]

Well, I was cleaning the brown algea off my glass when I made the biggest mistake ever. I hit the glass lid knocking the lights into the water, got electrocuted, jolted my arm out than reached back in for the light!! I'm an IDIOT to say the least, and I don't know why i did! My pinkie on my hand that I reached in with is extremely cold and numb but all the others are warm? But I got the lights out by pulling the cord, their off now. I'm scared to turn them back on because their still wet, I think i'm just going to leave them off overnight though for good measure. The fish are fine, and swimming around now in the dark, though my four stripe damsel is really jumpy and its fins are all erect. Inverts are fine to. Will my lights work again do you think? If not i guess its a sign, i've been in need of an upgrade for a while now

 

[meowzer]

YIKES....First...welcome to SWF
2nd....boy are you lucky....

 

[spanko]

Phew.Close call. Before you turn the lights back on take them apart and ensure they are dry and clean them with an electrical contact cleaner. Salt will corrode the contacts if not cleaned off.

 

[andrewjardin]

....boy are you lucky....
Thanks, My pinkie is warm again, that was definantly weird!
-Spanko- Thanks, I will definantly take them out and do that!
I don't know why i'm just stupid sometimes

 

[nycbob]

another reason why every hobbyist should run their equipments off gfci outlets. it only costs $10-15, but it could save ur life!

 

[andrewjardin]

hmmm... took the bulbs out, their black/grey at each end

oh well, I guess the lightbulb gods are telling me its time to get some new bulbs, maybee a new fixture to! I'm starting to see some good come out of this!

P.S. anyone ever experienced a bulb flickering OUT of the fixture!? or am i just going insane from the shock?

 

[spanko]

Submitted for your approval, a man from Ontario, Canada. Has a hobby that includes a lot of saltwater with all types of different electrical components in and around it. Starts to see lights where there are none..........................you have just crossed over into the twilight zone!!!

 

[t316]

Forget the fish and lights....Be greatful that you are alive. It sounds like just an accident, but that could have fried you.

 

[ibew41]

P.S. anyone ever experienced a bulb flickering OUT of the fixture!? or am i just going insane from the shock? aint playing with electricity fun

 

[ibew41]

where in ontario are you

 

[andrewjardin]

Submitted for your approval, a man from Ontario, Canada. Has a hobby that includes a lot of saltwater with all types of different electrical components in and around it. Starts to see lights where there are none..........................you have just crossed over into the twilight zone!!!
I feel special

Agreed T316- Thanks!
From Cambridge ON, Moved to

[hr]
ON on october 29, 2009

 

[andrewjardin]

Wont let me tell you where i live?^
Put the bulbs back in after drying everything off , one bulb (the daylight) works the other doesnt

I have two Ocean Sun 24" 18Watt Spare bulbs. One Actinic 420
The other 10,00K ... But no FIXTURE

I don't have corals, so lighting isn't all that important for now as long as I have some light, which the working lightbulb will provide, im good.
My plans are to upgrade to an empty 65G my dad gave me, its just laying around doing nothing but collect dust, so here is what my plans are:
First off I am selling my ball python- Monty and my corn snake-Luna for some cash (did you know its hard to make money when your only 14?

) and $80 from x-mas put together about $680? pretty good to start turning 15 soon, than going to get a pert-time job at timhortons(lucky me I still go to school

)+ summer job landscaping with my dad First thing to do: Build a custom stand(wooden encasement) for the metal framing stand already under the tank, than build a sump using my current 20G and a fuge with my spare 10G ( sound like a good plan? (oh by the way im going to need alot of help from you guys when that comes around, as i have absolutly no clue where to even start when it comes to where all the tubes should go!=) Than add LS+base rock mixed with some LR (save money) than cycle ect... continue from there plus i already have a super skimmer 65 just need a replacement cup for it%% im soo excited SW is so enthralling!!

 

[aquaknight]

Welcome to the very exclusive dumb-club!

I knocked a sump light in once. Worried for my fish I reached in to grab it, the exact moment I reached the light I realized the shock hazard to myself.... The half second of "black out" moments never gets old...

 

[andrewjardin]

Welcome to the very exclusive dumb-club! I knocked a sump light in once. Worried for my fish I reached in to grab it, the exact moment I reached the light I realized the shock hazard to myself.... The half second of "black out" moments never gets old...
Thanks for the warm welcome!! I can still feel the tingling

Got some pics to show:
1. Current 20G my fish aren'y very photogenic today

2. Spare Bulbs to be used when i get a fixture
3. My epic fail drawings of my wooden custom built frame for the 65 gallon with doors and storage for sump and fuge
http://s780.photobucket.com/albums/y...er%20Aquarium/

 

[browniebuck]

I electrocuted myself on my wedding day changing trying to install a new pull string light. I went to my trusty breaker box (that I didn't label...that was done for me by the previous owner) and turned off the breaker that said "BASEMENT LIGHTS"...since I was in the basement, I thought that made sense. I went about changing the fixture and got knocked on my a$$ when I accidentally touched the inside section...not the way that I wanted to start my wedding day. I didn't tell my wife until like 3 years later as I didn't think that she would find the humor that I did from having a numb right hand during our wedding...got the feeling back in time to drive to HiltonHead Island for our honeymoon. Now...I won't attempt anything with electricity, I will gladly call someone that is insured to take care of things for me!!!!

 

[andrewjardin]

LOL that would suck, but hey just because its the biggest day of your life, doesn't mean you can ignore the calls from your aquarium! I'ts such an addictive hobby

 

[browniebuck]

There was a story locally that had a couple both die from being electrocuted. The husband was tending to the family marijuana growing operation in the basement when there was a short on one of the fluorescent lamps that was used to grow the pot. The lamp was rated as 110 volt and was actually measured to be running 286 volts. The husband got electrocuted, the wife then went into the basement to see what the commotion was and attempted to pull her husband off of the lamp, in turn getting electrocuted herself. Both were found in the basement, dead.
The kicker was...the husband was an electrician by trade!!! Now...this really isn't funny, but the irony did bring a little bit of a laugh from many in the area!!!

 

[number1gsxxr]

Originally Posted by browniebuck
http:///forum/post/3201340
There was a story locally that had a couple both die from being electrocuted. The husband was tending to the family marijuana growing operation in the basement when there was a short on one of the fluorescent lamps that was used to grow the pot. The lamp was rated as 110 volt and was actually measured to be running 286 volts. The husband got electrocuted, the wife then went into the basement to see what the commotion was and attempted to pull her husband off of the lamp, in turn getting electrocuted herself. Both were found in the basement, dead.
The kicker was...the husband was an electrician by trade!!! Now...this really isn't funny, but the irony did bring a little bit of a laugh from many in the area!!!

Truth truly is stranger than fiction

 

[andrewjardin]

off topic but: how the HECK do you get pictures into a thread without a link just out there on the page, because i dont have them up on any websites either!? i feel so un-knowledgeble

 

[flower]

I have windows photo gallery. I save a picture from my camera, or web site into the gallery. Then this site I go to manange attachments. I click on that and go to pictures, then I double click on the picture to upload it.