# Electricity + water = Baaaad :-(



## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I was messing with Zephyrs tank a few minutes ago. I had my hand resting on the top plastic trim and I got a very minor shock! I had my hands in the water just a few minutes before, and nothing, and he doesn't seen abnormal or uncomfortable in any way. How do I go about isolating which piece of equipment is causing the problem? Equipment is:

Coralife 125 HOB skimmer
Aquaclear 110 HOB filter
Koralia 4 pump
Marineland Stealth heater
AG 3 tube fluorescent strip

My first reaction was to blame the heater, it's the oldest item. I instantly unplugged it and hesitantly touched the trim again and I think I still felt it. I took the light strip off and I THINK it stopped, but I'm not sure. It it was the light, it would have had to been conducted from the plastic light housing to the plastic aquarium trim. Is that even possible???

Now I'm scared ****less to touch anything, never mind put my hands in the tank! What should I do??? I have no issue with buying new lights, I hate these anyhow, but I want to be sure that I'm replacing the right thing.


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

Only thing I could think of is the heater unless you've got plastic that can conduct electricity like http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081209111514.htm if I typed it right. I would remove the heater personally. Perhaps you're still shaking from the light shock. After the heater is removed try and relax and let the nerves calm down for an hour or more and check again when you're calm. If you still feel a shock then I'm a bit puzzled. Only things I'm familiar with are the AC HOB line and in tank heaters. I don't think the AC would stray voltage out but then again it is an electrically powered device. Everything else I've never owned. Well I can relate to the light strip but that's about it.


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## duckyser (Oct 4, 2009)

I would use a volt meter to measure the voltage. Put one probe in the tank and the other to ground, ie a water pipe or something like that. If you get a reading then you will know for sure there is something broken. After that it would just be a matter of unplugging each piece of equipment until the voltage dissipates.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I think I've got it narrowed down to the light. Against the manufacturers recommendation, I'm using it over an essentially open tank. So there is salt creep on it, and that may somehow be conducting it? I can't find the multimeter so I found a circuit tester and put both probes (not touching each other) between the light and the rim, for a brief second, the sensor light came on.
I was doing maintenance yesterday and I thought I smelled an odd electrical smell. I thought for a second that I'd forgotten to unplug the heater (not on this tank, another one) but checked it and I had unplugged it. I prowled the house sniffing and couldn't pinpoint a source... It dissipated quickly and after a while, I just assumed it must have come from outside for lack of a better explanation. Now I'm thinking a tube shorted out? The middle one does look damaged so I don't know if the fixture is trash or if a damaged bulb could cause this???


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

The voltage doesn't seem to be IN the water, thank goodness...



duckyser said:


> I would use a volt meter to measure the voltage. Put one probe in the tank and the other to ground, ie a water pipe or something like that. If you get a reading then you will know for sure there is something broken. After that it would just be a matter of unplugging each piece of equipment until the voltage dissipates.


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