Ugggg what now?

Deano: How long has your tank been running? Did you use any metal in your tank as well? Did you use any silicone yourself as well?

Jason McKenzie: The readings are not really 0, My copper test kit doesn't read 0. The lowest reading it has is .5 mg/l. Which could mean from 0 to .5 mg/l

 

Does everyone ground their tanks?

 

Yes, I siliconed some fittings on my overflows. Is Silicone a problem? If so thats news to me! There is no metal in my tank. My tank has been up for about 2 years.

 

Deano: What brand of silicone did you use? Did you use fishtank silicone? I used a silicone used for making gaskets, I'm not sure if this could have been the problem. The brand was RTV Silicone from Loctite.

 

I nearly made the mistake of using a silicone that wasn't for aquatic use. It stated in very small print at the bottom of the tube! Im guessing there are toxic additives that would be harmful to fish. This may be the cause to your problems especially as inverts are more sensitive.

 

I'm with nemo79 snails and new tanks have never worked out for me- usually the results would be quick closing and death

 

Deano,
If you are using Ro/DI water, and if the filters are working properly, the water should have nearly zero disolved solids, especially including heavy metals.
I agree with your first thought -- it may be one of the rocks in your tank.

 

FYI, How grounding probes work

Conductive continuity essentially is stray current that develops from all living animals and environments such as salt water fish tanks. For those of you who live in the South, you know when you walk next to or near a transformer during the summer and hear a crackling sound. That is stray current that has developed from the humidity on the metal transformer lines. Now, reviewing all this with my Master Electrician Friend the tanks are big batteries and with all the movement of saltwater (an excellent conductor) along with the fish (again excellent conductors and generators of electricity) there will almost always be stray current in a tank (conductive continuity). The grounding probe will direct that current into the ground line (green wire) of the in the outlet to the junction box and then into the ground line (literally in the ground) outside of your house and or apartment. Thus eliminating the stray voltage. Some of you may know that your neutral line (white line) is also connected to the ground line (green line) in the junction box. The reason the neutral and the ground lines (green line) are connected is allow stray current that can develop in appliances or from frayed wires to go directly into the ground line (green line) then into the ground(earth) and not into you should a stray current develop. Electricity has an immense affinity for the ground (earth). Hence why lightning strikes the from the ground up. This helps keep people from getting shocked. This use to happen a lot in older homes that didn’t have ground lines(green wires) in the outlets or the junction boxes.
I have some experience with setting up electrical lines in my 30 year old house and last night I realized that the ground line to the outlet I had connected to my tank wasn’t secured in one of the many junction boxes or even connected hence why my tank probably still had some stray current (approx 9 volts) with the grounding probe in place. Anyone have an old House? What a nightmare some times? Nothing is ever up to code. Any ways, moving on. I reconnected the neutral line in the box and now my tank is zero on the volt meter. Finally!!!
Oh yah my Copper level is zero. I base this on my Seachem Copper test. When I test my water or the water from the LFS it never changes color. The control changes to a light blue, but my water never changes color. I find that most of the test kits color comparisons of the water to the charts is very difficult to compare sometimes.

 

I am overwhelmed by the post above.

 

i don't think that was a post, looked like a short story....