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#31
01-03-2013, 07:00 AM
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Are you being shocked from static when you, say, touch your light ? Or are you saying you are being shocked when you touch the water ? 
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#32
01-03-2013, 07:06 AM
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For me it's anything around the house that's metal when wearing the shoes (which is nearly all the time as we have no carpet, and I work from home
 )... I walk around the house touching the fridge, stove, TV, etc - shocks everywhere -- especially comical when I touch the TV and it reboots while my wife is watching something  Around the aquarium, mainly just the water - but since I have a grounding probe it's to be expected. Some of the other plumbing parts that are wet or have damp salt creap, same thing. Don't remember being specifically shocked by my lights (hanging AI Vega's) - but will give it a try tomorrow for giggles  long story short, fleece pants + crocs = constant static shocks... But for the thread starter, this is another possibility why his wife gets shocked and not him (different clothing/footwear choices/etc)
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#33
01-03-2013, 07:11 AM
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#34
01-03-2013, 08:16 AM
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From what I remember reading a while ago , and I may be completely wrong but here goes.
Stray voltage if too high in the water can affect the fish , but won't give you a shock if you put your hand in the water. Stray voltage usually comes from powerheads and other pumps that use magnets. I have about 25volts right now when I test with a multi meter and if I add a grounding probe it will drop to 0. I'm not using the grounding probe right now because from what I've read like gregzzz wrote earlier , is that using a grounding probe with no gfci is very dangerous. I'm in the process of installing a gfci and then I will start using my grounding probe. Stray current doesn't bother the fish but this is what will give you a shock. Stray current comes from things like a faulty heater. To test stray voltage with a multimeter set it to volts. To test stray current set it to amps or milliamps.
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#35
01-03-2013, 08:54 AM
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It doesn't matter whether we are talking about volts or amps .. either is bad in saltwater Ungrounded stray voltage, in most cases, will not affect in-tank critters visually. This is why we see nothing wrong and get shocked when we touch the water, creating a ground loop, and hurting ourselves and them. Only when the circuit is completed do we see problems with our critters, and by then we are able to easily be shocked There are many different ways electricity can be in our tanks, and many outcomes Have a read through this, taken from Bean Animals Bar and Grille http://www.beananimal.com/articles/e...he-reefer.aspx This shows pretty much every instance that can occur, and I should have linked it for the OP to start with GROUND PROBES A grounding probe is a piece of metal (silver or titanium, to be reef safe) that connects the system's water to the home's electrical grounding conductor. Grounding probes are somewhat controversial in the hobby. The probe adds a degree of protection against electrical shock but at the same time may allow current to flow through the aquarium and its inhabitants. The following examples will help to illustrate the concepts presented here. When a person comes in contact with the water AND the ground Example #1: A powerhead in the tank develops a hole in the insulation of the HOT wire. The powerhead is not plugged into a GFCI and there is no grounding probe. Because there is no path for current to flow, the powerhead operates normally. Nothing in the aquarium is exposed to current flow. When a person comes in contact with the water AND the ground, then current will start to flow through that person. Because there is no GFCI to sense the imbalance, the person will receive a serious electrical shock and possibly be electrocuted! It should be very clear that a GFCI is a MUST HAVE piece of safety equipment! Example #2: A powerhead in the tank develops a hole in the insulation of the HOT wire. The powerhead is not plugged into a GFCI and there is a ground probe. Because there is a path for current to flow, the inhabitants of the tank are exposed to electric current. Furthermore, when a person comes in contact with the water AND the ground, then current will start to flow through that person. Because there is no GFCI to sense the imbalance, the person will receive a serious electrical shock and possibly be electrocuted! It should be very clear that a grounding probe used WITHOUT a GFCI is very dangerous proposition. Example #3: A powerhead in the tank develops a hole in the insulation of the HOT wire. The powerhead is plugged into a GFCI but there is no grounding probe. Because there is no path for the current to take, no current flows and the pump operates normally. Nothing in the aquarium is exposed to current flow. When a person comes in contact with the water AND the ground, then current will start flow through that person. The GFCI will sense the leak and trip, preventing serious electric shock. Example #4: A powerhead in the tank develops a hole in the insulation of the HOT wire. The powerhead is plugged into a GFCI and there IS a grounding probe. As soon as the HOT wire is exposed, current will begin to flow through the tank water to the grounding probe. The GFCI will register this leak and trip. There are plenty of other scenarios to look at. What happens when both the HOT and NEUTRAL (or ground) of a piece of equipment are both exposed underwater? With or without a GFCI, current will flow locally from the HOT to the NEUTRAL (or ground). The GFCI (if in place) will NOT trip because there is no current imbalance. The tanks inhabitants will not likely be aware of the current flow either. Placing a hand in the tank could provide a nasty shock! A grounding probe in conjunction with a GFCI would prevent this by causing the current to flow to the probe, and thus tripping the GFCI. The same holds true if two different pieces of equipment develop small leaks, one HOT and the other Neutral. The probe and GFCI combination would allow current to flow to the probe, subsequently causing the GFCI to trip. Using a ground probe without GFCI protection on all of the submerged (or exposed) equipment creates a dangerous situation for the tank's inhabitants and humans exposed to that tank. A ground probe must always be used with GFCI protection!
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#36
01-04-2013, 03:46 PM
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been there, done that zapped myself a few times. voltage needs a ground to travel, the fish will be fine and not feel a thing until you ground the tank with your hand. keep in mind the fish are not grounded until you supply it with your body. never used a probe, 5 years and no fires yet
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always just 2cents until im broke
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#37
01-05-2013, 04:15 AM
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ok so bottom LINE im not using a GFI but i am using a grounding probe.. should i take out the probe?
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#38
01-05-2013, 04:27 AM
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but until you get the gfi, you should disconnect the grounding probe. (but you'll be at risk of building a charge on your tank, discharged when your body or something else bridges it and something grounded) Doing the above prevents electricity from continuously flowing to whatever your grounding probe is attached to. (and lighting your house on fire, or charging up something else in the house as a fun surprise) Last edited by Reef_Geek; 01-05-2013 at 04:29 AM.
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#39
01-05-2013, 06:31 PM
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Until you get a GFCI, remove the probe and don't put it back in otherwise Have you done any multimeter testing yet - with and without the probe in place ?
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