(M) Voltage Leaks in the Marine Aquarium

[Jeffrey J. Potter]

Let's see if I can get something started here!

Is all of this talk about voltage leaks in the marine aquarium being linked
to Lateral Line Disease true? I was reading the artical in the April 1992
issue of Marine Fish Monthly entitled "Making your own aquarium ground" and
decided to do the test they recommended. I took a digital multimeter set to
measure AC voltage and was getting a reading of around 24.9 volts. Now does
this sound like a crock to you? Or can this be true? I did notice that when
I made up the ground they were talking about and placed it in the tank the fish
seemed to be a little more active. Can someone in net land shed a little more
light on this subject?

Jeffrey Potter
jpo...@stsci.edu

[Rich Braun]

rai...@cbmvax.commodore.com (Bob Raible - LSI Design) writes:
> If you do actually have electrical leakage in your tank, a
>ground will ensure that your fish will be subject to the increased
>current caused by the ground. If however there is no path to ground then
>your fish will oblivious to the voltage. I assume that the voltage you
>measured was from tank to ground and not across the tank. Is this
>correct????

If the power supply does not go through a ground-fault circuit
interrupter, then the above is correct: a grounding probe will have
the effect of increasing current flow and voltage potentials between
various points within your tank.

If all electrical appliances within the tank are connected to a GFCI,
then in theory the circuit will trip if more than a few milliamps of
current flow to the ground probe. Indeed, the presence of a ground
probe will then cause the GFCI to do its job of ensuring safety better.
At least, in theory. I don't know if a typical US$8.00 GFCI outlet is
sensitive enough to accomplish this.

But then, of course, you run the risk of a filtration shutdown while
you're away. Hence you have to make sure the tank's status is monitored
frequently.

-rich