ELECTROCUTION anybody?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I accidently dropped the transformer for a halogen light into my tank just the other day, and yes the light was on at the time!

I didnt get shocked and the fish didnt seem to mind but needless to say the light did not work after that. :(

The one time I did get shocked was when I was working in a bakery, I was trying to replace a flourescent globe under a shop counter and couldnt actually see the fitting, so I had to feel around for the ends of the light fitting to slot the new globe in, I must have touched the live connections in the socket because I got such a shock, it threw me back on my arse. My arm ached like crazy for about an hour after it happened. Part of the counter was stainless steel which my arm was resting on - the current went into my arm from my fingers, and back out where it was resting on the steel. We run 240V here in Aust too. :(
 
Ouch!! You run on 50Hz over there, don't you? At least that's some saving grace. 60Hz (like we have here in the US) can really hold you in the circuit and increase the damage.
 
Oddball said:
Ouch!! You run on 50Hz over there, don't you? At least that's some saving grace. 60Hz (like we have here in the US) can really hold you in the circuit and increase the damage.
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Not to sure, I cant remember a lot of the electrical theory I did back in uni so am not too sure how current, wattage, Hz etc effects 'shock treatment' LOL!

I've been shocked by electric fences many times! They suck but not really life threatening!
 
From what I understand, you don't need to be grounded to be electrocuted. The children in Oddballs post #11 ("Two children, ages five and six, were electrocuted in Texas when a plugged-in hair dryer fell into the tub in which they were bathing.") weren't grounded or were they?

When current runs through water, it chooses the best conducting media. Being fairly watery, human body has a higher salt content than water and is therefore the better conducter. When we are dry, our skin serves as an isolator, protecting us from electricity. However, in water, too much of our skin is in contact with electricity and the resistance is lowered to nil. That's why you die when sharing the bathtub with a hairdryier.

Fish'es conducting specifications cannot be very different from ours and they too should be electrocuted when a current runs through the tank.
 
shekes said:
From what I understand, you don't need to be grounded to be electrocuted. The children in Oddballs post #11 ("Two children, ages five and six, were electrocuted in Texas when a plugged-in hair dryer fell into the tub in which they were bathing.") weren't grounded or were they?

When current runs through water, it chooses the best conducting media. Being fairly watery, human body has a higher salt content than water and is therefore the better conducter. When we are dry, our skin serves as an isolator, protecting us from electricity. However, in water, too much of our skin is in contact with electricity and the resistance is lowered to nil. That's why you die when sharing the bathtub with a hairdryier.

Fish'es conducting specifications cannot be very different from ours and they too should be electrocuted when a current runs through the tank.
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You do need to be grounded to be electricuted. If you are not grounded the current simply cannot flow. And assuming there was a drain in that bath tub that the kids got zapped in..they were very well grounded (if it was a metal pipe).

You mentioned that the current chooses the best conducting media, and you are correct, but it choosed the bset conducting media to ground.
 
if you use melafix on a salt water setup, never leave the power bar below the skimmer that you've forgotten to turn off! toasty goodness!
 
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