New to Canreef...

[sumpfinfishe]

Welcome to the board Ryan
You will find lot's of friendly,great advice here at Canreef and all the reefers that I have met through this board are a great bunch of people too

cheers, Rich

[Biotech]

Hi Ryan:
Each GFCI is rated for 15amp - enough to hook a few pieces of equipment to it with a powerbar. Separate the equip so that in case there is a trip with one of the circuits, equipment plugged in the other circuit will still provide your main tank with water circulation and heat.
For example:
GFCI #1 - one of your light units, one of the heaters, skimmer and return pump.
GFCI#2 - the other light unit, heater#2, powerheads

So if GFCI#1 trips when you are not at home - your tank will still have some circulation from the powerheads until you come home. Vice versa, if GFCI#2 trips, the return pump will provide the circulation.

If you are not comfortable to replace the original circuit with a GFCI unit, you can get a GFCI extension cord. Revy/Rona has one for about $45 -rated 15A/1800W.

Hope this helps

[Delphinus]

Do not concern yourself with "what happens when I'm not home and my GFCI trips". I used this logic for years as an excuse to not install GFCI, but in the end, I too conceded the logic is faulty. Here is why:

1. A reef tank can survive flatlined for longer than you think. A few hours isn't going to wipe out your reef. Just two months ago, I had turned off one tank to do some maintenance, left the lights on but all underwater devices were shutoff .... got distracted, then ended up doing something else, then went out to run some errands. Three hours later, I remembered that I had neglected to turn my tank back on. My anemone looked a little peeved that the current was gone for so long, but I turned the tank back on and everything was fine in the end. The anemone in question is my 24" ritteri -- one of the hardest anemones to keep in captivity. So don't sweat a few hours. You're not gone from your tank for so long that it can't suffer a little bit until you're back home.

(Of course, I should probably qualify this claim with something like "within reason." A couple of hours is OK but certainly it does depend on what kind of animals you keep, and certainly the longer it goes flatlined the worse it will get, case in point this blackout situation in the east.)

2. Aha, you say, but what about the times I go on vacation for a week or two? Aha, one can say back ... you still have to have someone check on your tank periodically, if for nothing else to feed things, also to check for floods or whatnot or whatever. If you have household or tenants insurance, BTW, you HAVE to have someone check on your place every 24 or 48 hours anyways, otherwise your insurance may be voided in case of a burglary. So ... again, it's not like the reef runs unattended.

3. A GFCI isn't really going to be tripping willy-nilly anyways. If it is, it means something is wrong. Find the problem, and correct it. If everything is fine, the GFCI isn't going to trip anyways.

4. Trust me, submerging your hand into saltwater that is live with 110V hurts. A lot. You will be happy to have something to "stop the pain" in the event you actually cannot pull your hand back. I used to think "oh, well if I feel a shock I'll pull out quick enough." It's amazing how inaccurate that really is. If you just plunge your hand in, to resuce a knowcked over coral or whatnot, how far you can get in the few milliseconds it takes before your brain realizes there is a problem. I've also read horror stories about people being partially paralyzed and unable to pull their arm out.

So I agree with the folks above. You can mourn the loss of your reeftank in the event of an (unlikely) absolute total-worst-case scenario. Or, ... your friends and family could be mourning YOU. And people will be asking how safe it is to have reef tanks in their homes and if children are involved and etc. etc. etc., that is a place we do not want to be going.

That said, it took me FIVE YEARS to get off my duff and put my tanks on GFCI. But don't do as I do, I have to learn everything the hard way. I had to learn by feeling what 110V feels like .... and incidentally, learning what it is like having my WIFE learn what 110V feels like. I thought ... Man alive ... if someone else living with me is at risk because I asked her to do me a favour ... what happens if I have kids? What if a kid is just playing around and innocently puts their hands into something that's live-110V? You know, I guess I can be comfortable enough playing around with risk on myself .... but I cannot live with being responsible for harm done to another.

I'm sorry if I sound like I'm using scare tactics. Ultimately it is your tank and YOU should be the one to decide what risk you're comfortable with. Lots of people don't run GFCI. But lots of people do, and the reasoning for it is reasonably sound in my view.

cheers

PS. Oh and BTW, WELCOME to CANREEF!!!

[Delphinus]

Incidentally in answer your second question I have one GFCI circuit per tank (theoretically -- there is a little bit of mixing and matching going on, due to convenience of promximity of plugs and stuff like that). It depends on how much stuff you have, but my two tanks are 75g each and one of them in particular has something like 20 devices pulled off it. Within the 10a limits though.

If you WANT to protect your tank with more than one GFCI, go for it, there's no reason not to. If we're talking about a 200g, 300g tank though, you will likely find you have to have multiple 10a circuits running the full gamet anyways.. So it depends on how much stuff you have I guess.

[ryan_p]

thanks again for your quick responses. I appreciate all the feedback. I will definetely install at least one GFCI outlet to replace the original wall outlet. I am not much of an electrician, so I may be able to replace one for the other, but I don't know if I can actually install a completely new one. I have a buddy who is an electrician, unfortunetely he is out of the country. I guess I also need to track down everything that happens to be on that same circuit....maybe it is its own seperate circuit...that would be nice. One last question on this matter (hopefully, the last one...i got other things to move on to...lol) If I add up the total amps of all the devices I am running in the tank, (presuming it is a dedicated GFI circuit now with only aquarium stuff on it) it needs to be under the rated amperage of the GFI unit...Is that correct?

[Samw]

Originally Posted by Biotech

If you are not comfortable to replace the original circuit with a GFCI unit, you can get a GFCI extension cord. Revy/Rona has one for about $45 -rated 15A/1800W.

Hope this helps

I'd like to try the portable GFCI. Do you or anyone know any place that sells ones like these locally?

http://www.lindequipment.net/GFCIind.htm

[Samw]

Here's a cheap one if you want to mail order it.

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...ct_Code=TM-GFI

Don't know what brand it is but looks the same as the 4275 model being sold for $18.95.

http://www.smarthome.com/4274.html


I'll see if Home Depot has it or if J&L can stock them. If not, anyone want to do a group order at Premium Aquatics?

[Troy F]

Welcome to the board Ryan, good luck with the set up of your tank.

You mentioned being in a basement suite, I'd guess the electrical panel is in your suite? If so, how close to your tank? My tank sits right beside it and I had an electrician add a couple of 15 amp breakers for two dedicated circuits.

That John Denver's full of $#*% man.

[ryan_p]

(trying to figure out how to quote.....think I got it now)

: )

[ryan_p]

You mentioned being in a basement suite, I'd guess the electrical panel is in your suite? If so, how close to your tank?

The panel is directly across the room from where the tank will be set up.... I'm gonna try and get a couple of dedicated circuits

Sam... I'd be in for getting the group order of GFI if they're quality