stray voltage question

A ground probe will shunt the voltage and keep it from lingering in your tank. Electricity (electrical current, more specifically) will always take the path of least resistance, which in this case will be your ground connection and not the inhabitants in your tank.

 

no no no…..don’t you remember as kids zapping each other? if two children hold hands and a third scuffle across a carpet the furthest child gets zapped – someone said electricity is lazy….they are correct and said it well, I’ll go back and give karma to that statement.

I am generally a huge preponderant of “fix the source don’t mask the problem” but in this case – the mask works very well. To replace faulty pumps can be very expensive – to ground it out solves it.

If you have a pump throwing stray voltage and you want to fix it you will need to open it up and ground it correctly -- which is essentially what you are doing by grounding the tank.

Now once again (please listen here everyone) – if the grounding probe covers with coralline your tank is NO longer protected !! and your problem returns. You need to add the probe to your maintenance schedule and give it a decent scraping from time to time.

 

I just checked my tank with a meter. reading 0.000 - 0.002 amps. It wouldn't fully stop at one point. Should I worry? My LFS doesn't carry probes, or at least I don't think they do...

 

Even when there is no voltage I suggest grounding the tank – you never know when a pump will fail and throw stray voltage….you will only suspect it after your tang has Crypto – ground it once and its good to go

 

I have been wondering that as well, but it must not be true because electric animals can still kill/stun prey in aquariums I think.

One is DC and one is AC but I don't see how that could make a difference.

 

I question only because I have just a few pieces of equipped in my setup: an HOB filter & 2 heaters. Oh and just one fish(check signature), not that how many fish I have, should make a difference.

 

No Sig :-(

 

Signature is always on my first post on threads. - at least mine is.

 

Oh...too much work to scroll up

 

lol. *Is there a way to customize my signature to have it show up on every post? I find this annoying sometimes...*