Shocking experience

[SalmonAfrica]

While fiddling around with one of my tanks, I noticed that I'd occasionally get a small shock if I stuck the tips of my fingers in the water.

After doing some investigating and experimentation, I found that it's not one piece of equipment that causes the shock; each piece of equipment adds to the strength of the shock.
However, the only time I'll feel the shock is if I stick my middle finger or thumb from my right hand in the water - both of these fingers have some skin missing.

Is there something faulty with the equipment? Or am I feeling the shock because I have broken skin?

Also, will this harm my fish?

Cheers
SA

 

[KaiserSousay]

Is there something faulty with the equipment? Or am I feeling the shock because I have broken skin?

Both.
The “Usual Suspect” of small amounts of electrical current in the tank is the heater.
Is it dangerous, at really low levels, to your fish?
Not now, but the current says your seals have been breached.
The potential for a disaster is there.

 

[SalmonAfrica]

So I should then go ahead and throw away my current heater and buy a new one, obviously. The heater is some 3 years old and not the best brand either, so I assume it's time had to come.

So, now I've unplugged and removed the heater from my tank, and I still get something of a shock. Should I suspect further faulty equipment?

 

[KaiserSousay]

I’m not Mr. Safety by any means.
Do way to many things that I know I shouldn’t
In your part of the world 220-240vac is the normal house current.
Add in the tank being on a 10-20 amp fuse/breaker.
I would be unplugging things until I found the culprit.
Lighting systems, especially on uncovered tanks have been know to leach electricity into the water, not as often an issue as heaters.