Unresolved Ground probe and stray voltage

I just recently found i have stray voltage going through my tank. I am not sure if i am checking correctly but if i am i have 4.5V right now! I took the red from my volt meter stuck it in my fuge and took the black and stuck it in the ground from an outlet in the wall... I started un plugging things one at a time an found my skimmer and return pump is the problem. The return pump is only a few weeks old and i purchased online, and the skimmer pump i just picked up a replacement for it, and a ground probe. I don't know if this is going to help my problem or make it worse as i find conflicting information. Does anyone here know how these work(ground probe) and how to install one properly? I was under the impression that if you use a ground probe then you give stray voltage a way out of the aquarium thus creating a "path" or current which is the real killer and not the voltage!?! Can anyone here clear this up for me?

 

It's basically a titanium rod with a "plug" end to plug into a 3-prong outlet; it'll use the ground from the socket to ground your tank.

 

I just bought one. Just like said above. the other end suctions inside the tank. My fish are much happier. I had 19V though.

 

4.5V is not much, it's probably induced voltage. However, I highly recommend a ground probe! This will get rid of it and make your aquarium water much safer, especially with the addition of a GFCI.

 

ok well the kind i got had a prong on the end of a wire. not a plug end.... i used some common sense and turned the breaker off that controls the plug outlet. i then took the cover off and pulled out the outlet its self. i then loosened the ground wire off the outlet and stuck in the prong from the probe. now checking i have 0 volts. also noticed i was getting about 1.5v off my lights. they aren't touching the water so this must be some kind of radiating electricity thats being conducted by my water? anyways i got it installled and i am starting to feel better.

I am still confused on the one part of this setup....i know if you get shocked and were to die the death would be caused by the current going through your body...voltage doesn't kill. Knowing this, doesn't the ground probe just complete the circut and give it a path out of the tank creating a current? Current is the flow of electrons so without a path there would be no flow and thus no current? I am second guessing the whole probe idea does this make sense to anyone else? i'm not an electrician but i do know alot about physics..

 

When you have a ground probe, the electricity is going from source to probe.

When you don't, the voltage is going anywhere it can to get to the ground via whatever path has the least resistance, including through your fish.

 

so then if i understand correcty the fish can still be shocked if they swim between the source and probe? this just gives it a strait easy path out, but anything between will still get shocked?

 

Yeah....if the current is in your sump, from your return and your skimmer, just put it in between the two and you won't get current through your DT.

 

perfect worked great! Now i just got to get my skimmer running properly!

 

I red up on these and it shows the outlet cover where the screw goes is grounded. you could have just grounded to the screw on the outlet cover.