# The Grounding Probe Truth



## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

There is a huge debate out there on aquarium grounding, Ill just start by saying, Im a trained union contractor and a member of the IBEW, "International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers" I have been going to training classes, "apprenticeship", for the past 3 years along with Working OJT, "On The Job Training". Anyone who doesnt work with electricity on a daily basis should read a little about ohms law before writing anything up, the theory electricty takes all paths to ground is true but due to a broad lack of knowledge most dont have a leg to stand on. Anyone who has a any decent amount of lighting above there aquarium should have there aquarium on GFCI's. In fact its code to have them installed when close to sinks, tubs, or other water sources. Hopefully everyone knows how a GFCI works if not you can click the link below. Anyways read up on ohms law and you'll realize how voltage "E",current "I", and resistance"R" all relate to one another e/i=r, e/r=I, rxi=E it takes one volt to push one amp through 1 ohm of resistance. Also all voltage can be pressent from pump/lighting vibrations alone, Not leaking ! A normal reef system has 10 volts on it without anything leaking "Crazy Huh ?". Now the debate is whether this low voltage is harmfull? Its said fish like sharks are able able to feel faint electrical fields. And these slight voltages in our aquariums could be a nuisance or possibly cause HITH. Still Unknown ! Anyways Back on topic, When you ground a aquarium via Grounding Probe, The voltage takes the easiest path to ground and therefore voltage drops to Zero, current might rise for a split micro second,Now two things can happen depending 1) once the voltage reaches zero current will no longer flow 2) Curent will be so low it wont even registure with a normal voltimeter. Ok I think I know what your going to say next. Well if a pump goes bad or "insert senario here" It could cause a fire b/c the circuit "aquarium" Is grounded. WRONG AGAIN ! ! ! If you installed those GFCI's like i said, It will sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it will react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second to lock out "Saving your Life" . Now i dont know about everyone else here but i love my fish, but not enough to give my life for them. When people DONT ground there aquarium and something goes bad and the voltage in the aquarium goes up, if they touch something grounded lightrack, metal pump housing, ect... The current will flow through you to ground ! ! ! Yes through you ! If you get nothing from this TRY AND REMEMBER THIS: GROUND YOUR AQUARIUM IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Good Reads:

http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/1298/1298_3.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm's_law
http://home.howstuffworks.com/question117.htm

http://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/186420/checking-for-stray-voltage


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## Sacrifice (Sep 24, 2006)

How do you go about installing a grounding probe? And I regret to admit that I do not have any GFCI's near my tank. How do I go about installing one? Do I actually have to replace the entire outlet with a GFCI outlet or is there and adapter that can plug into the wall before my power strip?

Would this be a good option?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_223791-33536-30339015_0__?productId=1268933&Ntt=gfci&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dgfci


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

Yes the entire outlet will need to be changed out i personaly use the just the two outlet ones then connect my outlet strip to it. the grounding probe connects to the screw that holds the faceplate on.

Just curious if you have a voltimeter i challenge everyone to check your voltage in your aquarium i think many will be suprised.
Connect on end to the lower round ground hole in your socket then the other probe goes into the aquarium.

NOTICE*** Do not install a ground probe on a regular outlet.


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## Sacrifice (Sep 24, 2006)

Changing out the outlet is not an option for me because I currently live in an apartment and they would never approve. Did you look at the link that I posted in my last comment. Could I make that work? I'm not sure how I could then use a ground probe. What do you do run a wire that dangles in your aquarium to the ground in the outlet? If one end attaches to the ground in the outlet how/where do you secure the other end to the tank?


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

Big Als Grounding Probe

The probe just plugs into yout power strip

And yes that would work since you cant switch your outlet.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

I just took out a faulty stealth heater from my 180g about a mounth ago, I always get a little shock when I had my hand in the water and my arm touching the aluminum wall beam and that's how I figured out I had something leaking electricty in my tank.
now that you mentioned it, I don't think the outlets in my fish room are GFCI, guess I need to find my screw drivers and replace them.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

^^^ I think I would just swap out the breaker for a GFCI breaker instead of changing a ton of wall outlets. It would cost about the same, and it would be way easier since you dont have to move equipment or crawl under stands and stuff.


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

Yes those will work to, Thanks plowboy i forgot all about those


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)




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## twenty6yogirls (Apr 5, 2011)

Hello. I had a crisis happen in my tank one time. I installed a florescent light on the top. Everything was going "ok" then in about a week or so all of a sudden my piranhas started attacking one another. Each week I would lose 1-2 fish. When I would try and save the fish, they acted like they had swim bladder problems; swimming in all sorts of directions and not being able to maintain plane. They all died. I have one female (pretty sure about the sex) left. I used a voltmeter and it read about 8volts!!!! I tested all of the other tanks, they all read 1-2 volts. So I started troubleshooting the cause of the voltage. The biggest cause was the light of course (which was grounded!! And not even touching the tank! suspended from the ceiling just over the tank. The current was actually bridging through the water vapor and into the tank!) Secondly, my two submersible power-heads caused about 2-3 volts. Now with just the heater and filters (HOB penguin 350) it is at 0-1 volt. Every other tank has voltage as well. However miniscule, and the fish that inhabit those tanks are non-predatory (meaning no electrical interference in their body). They were always fine no matter what voltage changes occurred. However, the piranhas definitely had a behavior change, and since changed back the weird behavior has subsided. She used to show spasm behavior almost as if someone was poking her with a cattle prod. Also, a heater can "fritz" without you knowing it and 1 day you have current, and the next day you don't! So i would definitely ground any tank that would have a predatory fish, or all to be safe.



Plowboy said:


> ^^^ I think I would just swap out the breaker for a GFCI breaker instead of changing a ton of wall outlets. It would cost about the same, and it would be way easier since you dont have to move equipment or crawl under stands and stuff.


That will work, but anything conected to that breaker will also be shut down. So dont have anything important on that outlet chain like alarm clock, refrigerator, etc.


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

Nice post 26, GP's are the way to go if not for your fish do it for yourself


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