Science test

B

BigMonkeyBoy

OK I have a weird thing going on with my tank.

I can not pinpoint yet what is causing this.

If put my finger tip in the top of the tank I can sometimes feel a small electric current burn on my finger tips very lite but a slight sting.

I have unplugged all the seios to see if one is leaking. But could still feel it. I check the sump with my finger tips and no current.

Does anyone know of where I can locate a device that will tell me if there is electricity in my tank? It seems to be intermittent and I can not locate the device that is causing it.

Any suggestions?
 
Do you have a ground probe? Is it in your tank or your sump?

I know it's a pain (Literally, in this sense), but unplug everything electrical on your tank, one by one, until you can isolate what's causing it would be the course of action I'd take...

Also, where's your other hand when you're doing this? Is it leaning on/touching anything electrical that could be completing the circuit? (Or your legs, or feet, or anything else for that matter)


...just some random thoughts...
 
@eman wrote:
GFCI protection!!!! This will trip with a small current inballance. said:
While I DEFINITELY advocate GFCI'ing anything near a tank, not necessarily... I've gotten shocked more than a few times from things plugged into GFCI outlets...
Click to expand...
 
@Serk wrote:
[I]@eman wrote:[/I][quote="GFCI protection!!!! This will trip with a small current inballance. said:
While I DEFINITELY advocate GFCI'ing anything near a tank, not necessarily... I've gotten shocked more than a few times from things plugged into GFCI outlets..."]

Me too. I would go with Brian's suggestion and unplug everything.
-Chuck
Click to expand...
 
FOUND IT

Man I wonder how long that has been going on.

It was coming from my main pump return. Thank GOD I keep a back up for just this reason :D

Is this common?

Werid thing is that it was in the sump but i couldnt feel it in the sump :?:

The electricty was traveling up and out my return lines into the main tank the right side more then the other. WEIRD!!!!

Well the the fish and corals seem happy so I guess I caught this just at the nick of time.
 
Sweet! Er... What kinda return pump, not a Rio, was it?

They're notorious for this kinda stuff, most others I've dealt with, not so much...
 
just get a ground probe then you will not have to worry....someone gave me one for free...think they are less than ten dollars at the lfs ......gfci will not trip all the time
 
its a little late but you can also measure stray voltage with a meter. One probe in the water and another on a ground.

Glad you found it!
 
Ok I'm going nuts I'm still having a current run through the system :sad:

I have unplugged everything but I still feel a current.

After futher research I found this article

http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM/Aquarium/GroundingProbes.html

I have a strange science request to ask of you. If you put your finger tips just the very tips just barely in the water do you feel a little burn right where the water and your skin connect?

I'm wondering if this is a natural effect or not. I can put my hand in the tank and I feel nothing its only when I put just the tip of my finger in the water that I feel it. After reading this article I'm wondering if this is natural or are my lights creating a magnatic field and this is the effect of it.
 
I had the same thing. Put in the ground probe in the sump, and would still feel it. Finally figured out I was resting my forearm on the top of my light hood. Apparently I was the salinity creep!
 
If you have a tiny cut on your finger tip, you'll be ever more sensitive to the tingling feeling.

I once had a problem with stray electricity in my 29g. I checked everything and couldn't find the source. Eventually I discovered it was the plug from the 6-way powerstrip wasn't push into the wall fully. The ground prong wasn't seated in the outlet far enough. Pressing that all the way into the wall outlet solved the problem.
 
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