Electricity problem

[Bifferwine]

I really need anyone's help here. Lately my clams went downhill, then my zoanthids, and then my torch that I've had forever. I couldn't figure out the problem, water parameters are fine, I did dips and never found any predators. In the last few days, my snails all died.

Tonight I was feeding the fish, and when I put my hand in the water I got shocked. I tried putting my hands in all different places of the tank, and I was getting shocked every time. So I think I found the problem.

I have one of those grounding probes that hangs in my sump. I am going to move it to the main tank to see if it makes a difference.

What can I do to fix this before I lose any more animals? I'm totally freaking out. I mean, they were big shocks, not just little prickles.

 

[Bifferwine]

Update: I moved the grounding probe thingy into the main tank, and I'm not getting shocked anymore. I was under the impression that it would be okay in my sump since there is (supposedly) an unbroken "circuit" of water between the sump and main tank. I'll check back again in a little bit to see if I'm getting shocked or not, but I'm distraught over what damage may have been done to my animals. I know little to nothing about electricity. How do I fix this?

 

[Bifferwine]

Did some research. Guess I'm headed to Ace tomorrow to buy a voltmeter. This sucks. The shocks were so strong my fingers are still tingly. I'm so upset about my animals being exposed to this.

 

[cgoodman381]

Ok quick answer -- Take your grounding probe out. If you have something shorting in your system (pump/cooler/heater) you are creating a complete circuit from the short to the probe which is extremely harmful to the tank. The same goes for two shorting devices.

If the pump is shorting the current will stay local and should not harm anything.

 

[cgoodman381]

Did some research. Guess I'm headed to Ace tomorrow to buy a voltmeter. This sucks. The shocks were so strong my fingers are still tingly. I'm so upset about my animals being exposed to this.

Remember your going to want to test for current not voltage. Voltage is potential energy, where current is the actual flow of electrons. (what shocks you)

 

[Bifferwine]

So what is the point of having the grounding probe then, if I should take it out?

 

[cgoodman381]

So what is the point of having the grounding probe then, if I should take it out?

I'm not really sure what your asking?

For me I dont see a point of having one. All it does is complete the circuit which could be whats happening. I would just try taking it out and seeing if your still getting jolts on your finger. If not, then try and find out what is shorting in your system.

 

[Bifferwine]

I was getting shocked when the probe was in the sump. I moved it into the main tank, and now I'm not. I've never been shocked by the tank before, but tonight I was barefooted, so that probably didn't help.

I'll do what you say about taking the probe out and then seeing if I still get shocked, but am going to wait until NoobDeBiff gets home from work so that he can call an ambulance if necessary ;). He'll be home in an hour and a half or so.

 

[cgoodman381]

Update: I moved the grounding probe thingy into the main tank, and I'm not getting shocked anymore.

Just read this as well. This seems to prove you have something shorting out in your system and moving the ground made a smaller circuit.

 

[Bifferwine]

So your guess is that whatever is shorting out is in the main tank, since moving the probe to the main tank eliminated me getting shocked?

 

[dustin_P74]

i remember when i bpught my tank i got a glass heater and they made sure to tell me to be careful with it because if it got the smallest crack in it it would send a current through the system. so unplug your heater and do you little shock test with everything the way it was when you first got shocked minus the heater being on

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't have any heaters. Who needs heaters with lights like mine? ;)

Here's what I do have:
6 Koralia #3 powerheads
A digital thermometer (battery operated)
My lights (1200 watts of MH and T5)
Ehiem 1260 pump taking water from the sump to the skimmer
Octopus stock pump that runs the skimmer
MagDrive return pump
AquaClear filter that I run ChemiPure in
Fluorescent strip light over the fuge
Grounding probe plugged into a 3-prong outlet
2 clip on fans for evaporative cooling

I don't know the names of stuff, so please forgive my ignorance, I'll try to understand. All of these things are spread out between three different outlets, and are connected by extension cords and 3 powerstrips. Two of the powerstrips (the ones that my lights, powerheads and return pumps are one) are the heaviest duty powerstrips that Home Depot sells. The third powerstrip is a regular old one. I don't know if any of this is helpful at all, like I said, I have no idea about any of this.

 

[dustin_P74]

i think you may have gotten water somewhere where water shouldnt be. like on a near by electrical cord or something. i dont really know. im just thinking out loud

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, I've gotten shocked before from me splashing water onto one of the powerstrips accidentally. So has NoobDeBiff. But tonight I wasn't touching anything but my bare feet on the ground and one hand in the water.

 

[daugherty]

i had a tank that did that when the heater got broke by a peice of rock. start unpluging one thing at a time until there is no current in the tank any more. by unpluging onething at a time you will be able to pinpoint what is causing it.

 

[Bifferwine]

I'll do this tomorrow. NoobDeBiff has the night off from his night job tomorrow, so he can help me when he gets home from his day job.

 

[cgoodman381]

Hope everything goes ok till then =\ Good luck with everything.

 

[fatman]

Leave the probe in place. If you really want to find out were the current is coming from, then take the grounding device out and take one device out at a time until the amp meter shows no current is flowing. This would mean the last thing you took out of the tank or turned off was the culprit. By the law of averages I would bet on it being one of your power heads. The grounding device does complete the circuit in the most efficient way possible by grounding to your household running ground system that runs to each outlet. It does make the water safer or you and the fish but does not solve the leak it just directs it away from the tank. Electricity always uses the best ground available. A wire hooked directly to a grounded outlet cover screw is a much better ground than you are standing on a relativly insulated floor. I assume you are not standing in a puddle or holding a metal plumbing line when putting your hand in the tank since getting shocked. If you know any handy man types or mechanics just ask them to bring over a multimeter, they likely will have one.

 

[ccCapt]

How old are the Koralia's? If they are the first release, that was a common problem...stray voltage. Hydor replaced for free all Koralia 2's & 3's that had that problem.

 

[fatman]

I use heaters so that I do not have drops of temperature when the lights are out. I try to never have more than a two degree temperture swing. I usually manage to do this. I find my self quite shaken when I have an occasional 4 degree difference in twenty four hours. I could not imagine going without heaters in any of my tank systems. I definitely do not suggest anyone do so, regardlees of where they live or what there lighting or household heating may be. Good temperature controllers are expensive, but so is nearly everthing in reefing. Temperature swings cause a huge stress on fish and corals. Temperature swings around the ocean's reefs are usually very, very slow in happening and usually very small.