To ground or not to ground

[Craig]

Is a titanium grounding probe a "must have" or is it just something to appease paranoia?

I currently have all electric items setup with a drip loop. Should I take the extra precaution of a ground probe?

Should it be in the main tank, or the sump, or both?

 

[Tonyscoots84]

yes a ground is always a good thing to have especially for you and ur fishies.... ill put it to u this way.. wat would happen if something in the water is faulty like ur heater and its leaking stray voltage into ur tank... u put ur hand in the water and zzzzzzzzzz.... ouch..

u can put it in the sump...

 

[reefman]

tip: put in spot where the water level stays the same and only submerge the probe part in water.
i also have a qusetion:
how do i know if my probe is working w/o throwing a plugged toaster in my tank?

 

[Tonyscoots84]

it does work... doesnt it get plugged into ummm something...

Disclaimer - do not throw plugged in, kitchen appliances into your tanks (actually anything that is plugged in and does not belong in ur tank) lmao

you can try :Blurp: :Blurp: :Blurp: :joke:

 

[reefman]

i mean how can i tell if there are no stray current running thru the tank(i.e current that i may not be able to feel).

 

[House of Laughter]

Reefman,

I think there is always some current that runs through tanks given the # of appliances we use in the water. I have 2 probes in my tank and am thinking about eating another.

Never hurts to have more. I think a conductivity meter is the way to test, but I am not 100% sure

House

 

[TimberTDI]

i mean how can i tell if there are no stray current running thru the tank

:duh: If you put a light bulb in the tank and it lights up...
you may have too much stray current.

 

[bad coffee]

You can take a regular volt meter and test it. ground one side, then touch the other probe to the water. You'll see how much stray current there is in the water.

Use a grounding probe.

B

 

[pecan2phat]

Food for thought:

There is the argument that a ground probe actually completes the circuit and is more harmful than good.

There's also the argument that a ground probe is useless unless plugged into a GFIC.

 

[masterswimmer]

Warren, I've heard those arguements also. The 'plugged into a gfci' arguement is ridiculous though. On a grounding probe the 'hot' and 'neutral' prongs are both rubber. So technically the grounding probe being plugged into the gfci outlet would never detect any stray voltage and trip.

The purpose of the grounding probe is to direct whatever stray voltage there might be in the tank to the house ground. If you don't use a g probe then putting your hand in the tank completes the circuit and you become the ground. Providing of course you aren't wearing rubber soled shoes.

I believe ground probes are useful.

swimmer

 

[pecan2phat]

I hear ya Russ.

I've read over the years, a number of those argument/articles.

I personally use ground probes in all my tanks also

 

[bad coffee]

My thoughts on the "completeing the circuit"

Every live body creates electrical current. However how small, there's still current through your body. Since the circut is naturally completed in your body, you have both + and - poles (simplified)

Adding current to the water, you're going to feel it. Even if it's just a tiny bit, you'll 'ground' teh current. Same goes for your inhabatants. However small they are, they're 'gounding out' the stray current.

WHen you put a probe in your tank, the current will take the path of least restance- straight through the salt water. Going through a body of an animal is extra resistance that current won't natrually follow. So I use agrounding probe.

B