Who has a grounding probe in their tank?

[Leah]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

That is an intersting point that the fish are not grounded. I never thought about that, I always assumed that if I saw fish floating belly up I would know not to stick my hands in.

I really need to get a GFCI. I need to find someone in Calgary that can do it for me.

They, are not that hard to install my dad installed all mine, four of them
just make sure you have turned off the power to it first. Was the first thing
I ever did when I switched to salt. I even have one on my daughter's fresh.
But when I was a kid growing up my dad had 30 freshwater tanks running in
our basement and I don't even thought about it. You will have to turn everthing off that may suck.

[karazy]

you can buy a GFCI outlet like the one in the link below at places like home depot so you dont have to completely change your outlet.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquari...et_inline.html

[digital-audiophile]

Originally Posted by karazy

you can buy a GFCI outlet like the one in the link below at places like home depot so you dont have to completely change your outlet.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquari...et_inline.html

I've looked for those at both home deopt and rona and the staff in the electrical dept. look at me like I have two heads and show me the ones I need to wire in.

I'm sure I can install the GFCI, it's not that hards, its just I am afraid of electricity. I electrocuted myself really bad as a teenager on an exposed wall socket and have been leary around wires and electricity ever since.

[xiaan]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

I've looked for those at both home deopt and rona and the staff in the electrical dept. look at me like I have two heads and show me the ones I need to wire in.

Same thing happened to me at HD but I found one at Princess Auto. They are generally in the Tools section (I also saw a 4 port model at Canadian Tire).

[digital-audiophile]

Originally Posted by xiaan

Same thing happened to me at HD but I found one at Princess Auto. They are generally in the Tools section (I also saw a 4 port model at Canadian Tire).

Sweet! I have a PA just minutes away from my house. Ill check them out for sure!

[karazy]

ive seen them at the home depot right by Elite aquatics.
they were close to the lighting section

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by Norstar

A couple of dumb questions.

1. Should you have a probe in both the sump and the aquarium?
2. Can you not make your own ground probe with a piece of insulated copper or aluminum wire?

1. Depends on your set up. Technically the water flows continuously between the sump and display, so only one should be required if you decide to install one at all. Once water stops flowing, you've opened the 'circuit' so to speak. But that usually happens during a power outage or when you turn off the return pump so no electricity is present.

2. You can make your own, but insulating it with plastic will defeat the purpose. You'll need to get hold of a non corroding metal such as stainless steel or better yet titanium.

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by Doug

I always run a ground probe and GFI.

If you find my thread where the arc went from my pendant to my forehead, when I had the probe out and was fine with it in, {current leaking from a stream pump}, you will see why, plus some good posts there from electric oriented aquarists.

Curious. Is/are your pendants grounded? I've measured close to 200 volts from my clip-on (ergo isolated) T5 reflectors to the water. Used to get tingles when touching both the reflector and the water. Attached a wire from each reflector to ground and the large induced voltage is no longer present. Although it is a high measured voltage, the current capability is obviously not that much or I would feel more than a tiny tingle. Could be that the arc to your forehead was also caused by a large static charge, walking across carpet in a dry room, then touching a metal object. Voltage needs to equalize, so big snap but generally not that harmful.

[digital-audiophile]

I found the GFCI at Cdn tire. It was $26. Much easier for a guy like me to hook up than rewiring an outlet

[mike31154]

I have one of these. Great product, only beef is the spring loaded outlet covers make it tricky to plug in timers etc.