Stray Electricity

gibber

gibber

New Member
I have approx. 2.5 volts stray voltage in my tank. What is acceptable? What are the first symptoms I might see of too much?
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member
I like the idea of the probe to the GFI Ground...that should make it ultra sensitive to voltage leaks..
What he said made sense, but i think that water is such a great conductor that if a wire were to break in the water...the tank would act as the connector...and not necessarily trip the gfi, since it's not going out past the tank... I dont know...
What i do know is I'm keeping the probe..
 
gibber

gibber

New Member
I have to go with the whole conductive path thing. After much thought and consideration I feel that going with electrical theory will be enough for me. Electricity must have a path to ground or to and electrical load for induced voltage to be conductive. My tank is glass, supports are plastic, and stand is dry wood (all good insulators and poor conductors). The only time there is a chance for conductivity in my tank is when my nasty hand is inside and my arm leans up against the light fixture providing a path to ground (hence the 2.5v tingle). Neither my fish nor any other living organism in my tank is a motor capable of conducting electricity unless they are grounded. Flip side....my LFS saltwater guy says that his fish have done much better since he started using a grounding probe. His advantage though by having a sump and grounding probe therewithin is this: The path of electrical current to ground will never include fish unless one of his lights fall into an associated tank. In my tank I have not afforded myself that luxury(regretably). If you do have all your electrical equipment in a sump along with a grounding probe I can't imaging how the fish would ever be a conductor.
Thank you...good day!
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
Main reson for ground probe is ppl. safety. Unless you like geting zapped when your arm touched the light fixture. Good thing its only 2.5 volts and not the whole 120v.
Second is the presents of stray voltage is beleived to alter the natural neurological electrical goings ons in the fishes nervous systems just like ppl. living under high voltage electrical lines have a higher percantage of brain tumurs than the average bear. booboo
 
gibber

gibber

New Member
It would be safe to assume then that if you live beneath a high voltage line that you would provide a path to ground for that voltage. At what point then can the fish become conductors?
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
Your talking about electricution, being part of the path. Im talking about an electronic magnetic field created by the presense of voltage free in the water without the neutral wire there close enough to break up the field.
 
gibber

gibber

New Member
Once you provide a path for flow...like when my arm touches the grounded lighting fixture...then and only then will your fish get shocked. As to the electromagnetic field you're speaking of, I work around 500kv lines all the time and have never heard of anyone getting drain bamage?
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Grounding probe is also a safety instrument for hobbyists. Tanks should have the probe as well as a GFI.
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
Originally Posted by gibber
But what would happen if it weren't? If lightning struck?
I dont think lightning would strike them if they weren't. :notsure:

If you dont want to ground your tank then fine with me I just hope theres not kids around to put there hands in it.
 
K

kpatrick

Guest
So should my grounding probe be in my tank or sump under the tank or does it really make a difference?
 
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