electric shock

[yoba]

recently while feeding the fish i accidentally touch the water. i immediately got a slight electric shock.I took a electric tester and put it in the water. as expected the light in the screwdriver came on. i was shocked to find this and am trying to isolate the problem. but i guess this is happening for some time now. am really concerned about the fish. will they be affected. i know they are not grounded but they keep touching the powerhead and the wave maker. please advise. trying to isolate the problem i turned off everything except the powerhead in the tank which i connected to another supply point. i have a switch board in the lower cabinet under my tank where the sump is . i guess the water from the sump might be splashing there. the light on the top are sufficiently separated from the top level of aquarium water(around 6-7 inches). i tried getting some info online but everyone just seemed interested in talking about fishes getting electrocuted by lightning stikrs in the ocean. somewhere i read that this could be due to salt creep.

[leebca]

Find and remove the electrical source as soon as you can.

Some fish seem to get along with it, very few are killed outright, most suffer by contracting disease, minor illnesses, and/or a shortened lifespan.

[yoba]

THANKS FOR THE REPLY. I FINALLY FOUND OUT THE SOURCE OF THE STRAY VOLTAGE IN THE TANK. THOUGH MOST OF YOU WOULD KNOW THIS , I FOUND IT REALLY IMPORTANT TO SHARE. I HAVE A 3 FEET SUMP BELOW MY MAIN TANK WHICH HOUSES THE SKIMMER/ HEATER/ SUBMERSIBLE PUMP / POWERHEAD FOR THE SKIMMER AND OTHER FILTRATION STUFF LIKE CERAMIC RINGS, BIO SPONGE , ACTIVATED CARBON AND MANGROVES. WHEN I STARTED NOTICING A CURRENT FLOWING THROUGH THE TANK I DID EXACTLY AS INSTUCTED AND TRIED TO ISOLATE THE SOURCE OF VOLTAGE ,BUT I COULD NOT PIN POINT ON ANY ONE EQUIPMENT. TRIED CLEANING THE EQUIPMENT WITH FRESH WATER AND VINEGAR TO REMOVE THE SALT CREEP AND TESTED EACH AND EVERYONE OF THE EQUIPMENT SEPARATELY.BUT NOTHING. I EVEN WENT TO THE EXTENT OF BUYING COMPLETELY NEW ELECTRICAL BOARDS AND SWITCHES AS I WAS AFRAID THAT THE MOISTURE IN THE SUMP GOT TO THEM. NOTHING WORKED , THEN JUST AS IWAS ABOUT TO GIVE UP I SAW MY BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS NOTES. THERE I FOUND THE ANSWER :INDUCTION CURRENT. THEN EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE . IT SO HAPPENED DUE TO THE NUMBER OF ELECTROMAGNETIC EQUIPMENTS WORKING IN THE SMALL AREA OF THE SUMP A FLUX WAS BEING SET UP AND SO THE CURRENT THE TESTER WAS DETECTING. I GROUNDED THE SUMP AND NOT INIVIDUAL EQUIPMENTS BY PLACING ONE END OF THE WIRE IN THE WATER AND THE OTHER IN THE EARTH SOCKET ON THE BOARD . IT WORKED!!!

IM SURE THE PROS OUT HERE WOULD ALREADY KNOW THIS BUT I FOUND IT PRETTY INTERESTING SO THOUGHT I WOLD SHARE!

KIND OF GIVING BACK FOR THE VAST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION I HAVE GOT FROM THIS FORUM SPECIALLY LEEBCA.

THANKS A TON CHEERS!!!

[sober_pollock]

yoba:

I would never be so arrogant as to say you were wrong since I'm not actually there testing things or observing you test them.....

BUT.....

I was an electrician for 15 years, then I went back to school and got my Electrical Engineering degree from Purdue (One of the top engineering schools in the world). I carried a four point grade point average and ended up working for Purdue briefly as a Supplemental Instructor.

I'm not saying all this to brag.....I want you to believe me when I say I know something about electricity.....

I am very skeptical that "Induced Current" is the cause of this.....

Can you post a picture of the "Electrical Tester" you used below?.....

.....I took a electric tester and put it in the water. as expected the light in the screwdriver came on......

Also, what kind of outlet are you talking about below?.....

.....I GROUNDED THE SUMP AND NOT INIVIDUAL EQUIPMENTS BY PLACING ONE END OF THE WIRE IN THE WATER AND THE OTHER IN THE EARTH SOCKET ON THE BOARD . IT WORKED!!!.....

I just want you to be safe about this.....



pollock

[Parrothead]

I agree with Pollock, I'm no electrican, but I have never ever heard of induced current in a fish tank. Usually it's a faulty heater, or water splashing a light hood or some such thing.

[sober_pollock]

I agree with Pollock, I'm no electrican, but I have never ever heard of induced current in a fish tank. Usually it's a faulty heater, or water splashing a light hood or some such thing.

It's not impossible.....

But I think it's highly unlikely due to the number of things that would all have to fall into place perfectly in order for induction to energize the water enough for a person to feel it.


pollock

[yoba]

hey guys thanks for the reply. basically what has been done is that the guy who setup all the electrical connections at my place suggested that to remove the trace of current. (it only shows up as a light on the tester screwdriver.. the one which has a small bulb in the head of the screwdriver which lights up if there is a current) we should ground the sump.
there is an electrical switch board attached to the outside of my cabinet holding the tank.so he took a wire and placed it into the earth socket of a standard three pin socket and the other end into the sump. what he says ids that the stray voltage being set up is not due to any equipment as when tested alone they do not show signs of a current leakage but when used in conjunction with other electromagnetic stuff: read: powerhead/heater etc thetester picks up a current. it did sense a currrent once when only the submersible pump was on but i got that pump changed and the problem was still there. according to them the small sump was not enough to dissipate the current( they claimed if the sump was like 5 feet long this problem would never arise) this is something i wanted to confirm with you. anyways after earthing the sump the current has completely styopped, but please let me know if this is dangerous. the plug into which the wire is connected has anothe plug of an other instrument plugged into it so that the wire is in firm contact with the grounding prong of the other plug as well as the inside of the socket. the socket is a standard triangle shaped one with three holes. 220 volts 50 hz. please advise