To ground or not to ground?

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grokefish
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Post by grokefish »

Have you tried testing for a current with everything switched off?
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Durlänger
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Post by Durlänger »

grokefish wrote:Have you tried testing for a current with everything switched off?
Matt
Doesn`t matter. The voltmeter shows someting, as sayed, becouse you put metal in :!:
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Post by rahendricks »

I don't know how big the EM fields produced by pump motors and heaters are, but I do know those produced by flourescent lighting are measureable. You can't however measure them with a standard voltmeter, it takes special equipment. Grounding a tank will bleed off any potential produced by an EM field but it will also set up a situation where low current levels may be present whenever your equipment is on. I don't know if anyone has done any studies to see if this is detrimental to fish health. I do know that long term exposure to low level ground currents can damage electronic components. I also know that lightning creates massive EM fields. In an ungrounded tank, no big deal. Grounding a tank could produce a scenario for a very short term but substantial ground current. I don't know if anyone has studied this either but I wouldn't think it would be good for the fish.
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Post by Kostas »

Hi grokefish,
No,i havent done that...In fact,i have never tested for voltage in my aquariums :oops: I have only tested for voltage the tanks of the Lfs that first told me about the ''neccessity'' of grounding...I dont remember to take off the equipment plugs from any of the aquariums i tested...I only took off the grounding and it showed some amount of electricity(6-9V,not more than that but i dont remember the exact numbers) and then when i replaced the ground it showed 0V...(By the way,i didnt bought a ground at that point,i returned and did my reasearch and because i found some articles stating some said to be facts about the benefits to the fishes of having a grounded tank,i went to another shop and bought the Rid-Volt product...)The reason i havent measured my tank and havent done what you say is that although i do have a voltmeter,its horribly dirty,so much that even after cleaning it,i wouldnt dare to put its electrods in my aquarium :lol: :roll: But i may go buy another at some point,especially when i have the 2meter up and running to see what it measures just out of curiosity...

Hi Durlänger,
Thank you for your reply :)
Is what the voltmeter measures when placed in the tank always completely ''fake''(when you have the equipment running i mean,not without the equipment) or does it also shows some voltage that does exist and after taking it off the tank?If you dont have a ground,does this voltage potentially annoy fishes or it doesnt exist because it has nowhere to go?

Thank you very much for your reply rahendricks :)
What you say is very interesting and also strongly suggests that its better for fish to not ground a tank...

So i now think that you all agree that aquarium grounding is dangerous instead of doing any good...

Thank you very much in advance :)
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Post by Durlänger »

Kostas wrote:
Is what the voltmeter measures when placed in the tank always completely ''fake''(when you have the equipment running i mean,not without the equipment) or does it also shows some voltage that does exist and after taking it off the tank?
1. If you put only one cable from the voltmeter to your tank - then it`s telling you "something or bullshit or maybe the last thing it remembers" as it has no comparison :!:
2. If you put two cables dirctly into your tank - it measuers the difference between the potentials of both metals under your tank condition, 0V if both cables are exact out of the same alloy :wink:
3. If you put one cable into your tank and conect the other one with the grounding - then a.) you will see the difference between potentials of cabel and grounding b.) I will be very very angree with you as you still have a grounding :evil: :evil: :evil: But I wouldn`t show you as you cann`t see me :wink:
If case 2. or 3. shows you something fluctuating or nothing - then I have to say that normally we use a galvanometer (simulare to a voltmeter, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanometer , shows +V aswell as -V), with 3 or maybe more inputs so it´s possible that a voltmeter doesn`t have the right inputs :roll: :roll: :roll:
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Post by Kostas »

Thank you very much for your reply :D

So in other words,both 2 and 3(for the one is obvious :lol: ) are fake or is 3 more accurate?As i have said in a previous post of mine,i have removed the grounds from both of my tank :wink: But of course its not difficult to put back on one again to do the 3rd you said when i buy a new Voltmeter...

I cant understand your last phrase very well :oops: :roll:
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Post by Durlänger »

Kostas wrote:So in other words,both 2 and 3(for the one is obvious :lol: ) are fake or is 3 more accurate?
Not fake, it´s made by putting two conected metals into the tank, so it isn`t there normally
Kostas wrote:As i have said in a previous post of mine,i have removed the grounds from both of my tank :wink:
didn`t notice that
Kostas wrote:I cant understand your last phrase very well :oops: :roll:
Well selecting the right word out of the dictinary isn`t very easy :roll:
fluctuating = changing
the link I gave for galvanometer is more for someone who is really interested in electronic measument, I hoped that the Greek version would be understandable
input = the part (of the voltmeter) where the cables can be put in
the whole last phrase = I´m not really sure, but I think, that a voltmeter can show that. The thing we use instead called galvanometer knows if it measurs +123mV or -123mV, a voltmeter doesn`t know that. As both show V I forgot the mention that I talked about a galvanometer instead :roll: :oops: :(

Did things get clearer :?:

edit: whole instead of hole :roll:
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Re: To ground or not to ground?

Post by amiidae »

I "ground" all my tanks with stainless steel probe (connected to the earth of the power socket) submerged in the water.
That's becos I hate the biting sensation I get sometimes when I put my hand into the water during cleaning. The weak leakage can come fm the tank light or powerhead esp when it gets old.
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