Electric short in my reef Tank?

[kyabk]

I have read in other threads that people have experienced electric shorts inside the tanks from bad pumps, heaters, etc. The shorts would cause stress to the fish that are in the tank thus giving them ich and or other problems. With that said I have a few questions...

First, is that true? Second, how do I check if I have a electric short in my tank? Third, if I can check for this, should I do this on a normal basis?

Thanks in advance.

 

[grav]

Yes it is true.

You'd need a lot of current in the tank before you would notice it in the critters, but they could be stressed long before you see it.

I'm sure you could go out a find some fancy electroninification detector, but the testing is more work and $ than the cure. $15 should get you a good titanium grounding probe.

I think that with any serious tank you need to have one.

 

[das75]

Should be running a GFI anyway. If you had a short it would be tripping.

 

[Anonymous]

I think what he's talking about isn't a short, it's stray current. Powerheads often give you stray current. He'd KNOW if he had a short when he sticks his hand in the tank and becomes ground. I've had this happen to me more times than I can count, and honestly, the fish suffer little to no visible effects if there is nothing within the tank that completes the circuit.

I've had plenty of tanks with stray current and the fish show no signs, but seen plenty with GFCIs and grounding probes but the animals demonstrate ich or other illness. In my own mind they don't necessarily extrapolate.

A voltmeter will demonstrate stray current, and a grounding probe will direct it. But a GFCI (ground fault circuit interruptor) is an absolute MUST.

 

[NewMan]

I've had plenty of tanks with stray current and the fish show no signs, but seen plenty with GFCIs and grounding probes but the animals demonstrate ich or other illness. In my own mind they don't necessarily extrapolate.

it happened to me as well...spend a couple of dollars on a titanium probe & it might save your life in the future. FYI, saltwater is a extremely good conductor of electricity :evil:

 

[Dewman]

Seamaiden... what is "Stray Current"
Is it friction induced current that the water holds until grounded? I can understand that saltwater is more apt to hold a charge than plain fresh water.

 

[fungia]

isnt stray current just electricty that gets out from stuff that might not be fully shielded like powerheads? i have a question. if stray electricity from a faulty powerhead or something gets into the tank, what happens to it without a ground? i hate physics!!!