Shocking reflectors, and fish... maybe?

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by Screwtape, Jan 10, 2010.

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  1. Screwtape

    Screwtape Tonozukai Fairy Wrasse

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    I'm no electrician, far from it, so this is mostly asked out of ignorance.
    I've read in the past about people getting slight shocks from their lighting reflectors, T5's in particular but I don't know it might happen with all reflectors for all I know.

    I've recently found that this is the case on my tank too, with a retrofit canopy. I can only tell when I'm working in the tank and my upper arm or more sensitive parts of my arm accidentally brush against the first bulb's reflector. If I touch the reflector with my fingers I feel nothing which is what I expect because what I've read is that it's just a minimal charge being generated by some type of electromagnetic field generated by the electricity flowing through the bulbs.

    What I'm wondering (not really worried, just curious) is if it might be more than a slight sting to a 3" fish who jumps out of the water and contacts the reflector.

    Does anyone have any info on the impact of small amounts of electrical current on small fish? I know there are some methods of collecting fish that involve some type of electric shock to stun the fish or somehow agitate them to make them easier to collect. I don't know what the exact mechanism is of this.

    I'm really curious if even a temporary stunning, or shocking, might be enough to push a touchy, new fish over the edge and overstress them, or really hurt them beyond recovery when they're still in the process of acclimating to new water conditions and a new tank, with new tankmates etc.

    Anyone have any thoughts?
     
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  3. jonjonwells

    jonjonwells Great Blue Whale

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    It would have to be a very big fish to get shocked off of a reflector. The fish would have to be touching the reflector and the water at the same time. Very unlikely.
     
  4. ZachB

    ZachB Giant Squid

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    If they're doing such acrobatics as to touch the reflector I would be more worried about that, not the light. I would be worried more about shocking myself than the fish when it comes to reflectors.
     
  5. Screwtape

    Screwtape Tonozukai Fairy Wrasse

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    I'm not necessarily concerned for my fish in particular, they will be well acclimated and healthy in a QT tank without exposed reflectors before adding them to my main tank. It's just something I've been thinking about.

    As to needing to be touching the water, I can shock myself without touching the water which leads me to believe a fish might as well.