My Recent Experience with Grounding Probes

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

dallen2233

Candiru
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2015
135
41
46
Texas
So a little background: My cat shark had been acting odd as of recently. She was continuously yawning, had rapid breathing, and came out very seldome. I checked her to see if there was anything visibly wrong with her (cuts, rashes, etc..). After striking out, I check the water parameters PH 8.2, Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrates 2.5ppm, Copper 0, Phosphate 0.5. I was kind of stumped at this point, until I noticed my sailfin tang was visibly stressed with no apparent cause other than the possibility it was from my yellow tang. The final thing I check was if something was acting up in my equipment. I did measure 9vAC (2v from the skimmer motor and 7v from the main pump) of stray voltage with my DMM. So I ordered and placed a ground probe in the sump. The result was almost instant. My shark came out of the rocks, swam around the tank, and even laid on the sand long enough for me to get a couple of pictures. Her breathing slowed down and she stopped yawning. In addition, she was seemed more vigorous in her eating tonight.

20150914.jpeg

20150915.jpeg
 
Good to know! Did you take measurements after to see the effectiveness of the ground probe? Would be nice to see someone with stray voltage measure before/after. Most of us simply have them as a precaution.
 
So a little background: My cat shark had been acting odd as of recently. She was continuously yawning, had rapid breathing, and came out very seldome. I checked her to see if there was anything visibly wrong with her (cuts, rashes, etc..). After striking out, I check the water parameters PH 8.2, Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrates 2.5ppm, Copper 0, Phosphate 0.5. I was kind of stumped at this point, until I noticed my sailfin tang was visibly stressed with no apparent cause other than the possibility it was from my yellow tang. The final thing I check was if something was acting up in my equipment. I did measure 9vAC (2v from the skimmer motor and 7v from the main pump) of stray voltage with my DMM. So I ordered and placed a ground probe in the sump. The result was almost instant. My shark came out of the rocks, swam around the tank, and even laid on the sand long enough for me to get a couple of pictures. Her breathing slowed down and she stopped yawning. In addition, she was seemed more vigorous in her eating tonight.

View attachment 1140368

View attachment 1140369

How exactly did you perform the test? I would like to test my output pumps, my fish have been acting strange as well.
 
Good to know! Did you take measurements after to see the effectiveness of the ground probe? Would be nice to see someone with stray voltage measure before/after. Most of us simply have them as a precaution.

It was 0.0VAC after.

How exactly did you perform the test? I would like to test my output pumps, my fish have been acting strange as well.

I tested it by inserting one probe into the water and the other into the ground on an outlet. Then I unplugged one piece of equipment at a time to see what the change would be.
 
It was 0.0VAC after.



I tested it by inserting one probe into the water and the other into the ground on an outlet. Then I unplugged one piece of equipment at a time to see what the change would be.

Okay so I got a gfci bar with 4 plugs in it. If I put one prong into the ground of the gfci itself and unplug 1 x 1 will it have the same effect? Or did you mean 1 prong in any old empty outlet? Sorry real bad with electrical at the moment, just not much experience. Does it matter which probe? I am thinking this is a possibility in my tank and would by the tester to see for sure.
 
Tools Needed: a multimeter with an ability to read AC voltage

Steps:
1. Turn on the multimeter and put it in a range that can read 120 Volts Alternating Current (VAC).
2. Place one probe in ground of an outlet. (its the round hole).
Note: This wont work if your house is wired improperly
3. Place the other probe in the water. (Polarity of the probes doesn't matter)
4. Read the voltage. (It should read 0VAC).
5. If the Voltage is greater than zero proceed.
6. Unplug one device (heaters, pumps, chillers, etc...) at a time and read the display on the meter.
7. If unplugging the device does nothing to the reading, then repeat step 6 until it does.
Note: Multiple devices may be causing the problem (Example: 5VAC from skimmer + 6VAC from a pump = 11VAC from the initial reading in Step 4).
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com