ouch! Electric tank grounding

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bluehairman

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 20, 2007
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Green Bay
Hello, today I stuck my hand in my 55g fish tank and I got a good zap on a cut on my thumb. I think it's the heater but I don't know.
If I raise the plastic part of the heater above the water level, will this help? And if I do that will the heater burn up? Or should I get a new heater all together?

Edit: After unplugging the heater and sticking my hand in I didn't receive a shock. I don't know if it takes a while for the shock to 'build up' or not. But I doubt it.
 
i don't think i would play around with it, i would replace it, but as long as the element is submurgerd it shouldn't hurt the heater, but check for cracks already, its leakin somwhere. do you have gfi outlets?
 
I don't have gfi outlets but I have a plug in strip (I don't know what they're called but they plug in the wall and have about 6 more outlets on it).
 
I pulled the heater out a little so the part where the wire goes in is out of the water. I think it's leaking somewhere on the very top. But now I don't get shocked, and my fish aren't as aggressive anymore.

Can electrical current through tanks cause aggression?
I don't know if it was just because I was messing around in the water or if because the electricity was gone.
 
bluehairman;3193489; said:
Can electrical current through tanks cause aggression?
I don't know if it was just because I was messing around in the water or if because the electricity was gone.
Click to expand...
im not sure about fresh water but in salt it definitely stresses some fish. some fish may try to jump out of the water. im particularily inclined to say it can bother all fish at a high enough level, but lower levels matter to some species more then other, depending on sensitivity to current. sharks and i think rays are very sensitive to current.


but they dont feel as much current as you do since your a direct link to the ground and water is much better conductor then the fish. but dont doubt they do feel it if they didnt a electric eel or catfish wouldnt beable to stun fish
 
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