Stray Electrical Current in Tank

Today i was messing in the tank and noticed that the corener near my grounding rod would schock a finger i have a cut on. i could placed my hand anywhere else in the tank without any feeling. I have a heater at both ends and a power head at both ends.

Is this normal using a grounding rod or should i be worried about the heater or powerhead at that end? Maybe a possible short in one of them?

 

Not normal with a grounding probe. How do you have the probe hooked up? Is it one of the eyelet ones?

 

It is this one:

"Titanium Grounding Probe
Comes with grounded plug for easy installation, or use the eye hook to connect direct to wall plate.

All tanks should have a grounding probe. Heaters, pumps, powerheads, etc all put out current into the tank which can lead to laterial line disease and other stress for your fish. It's an easy and inexpensive way to fix this problem, your fish will thankyou."


I have it plugged into one of my powerstrips.

 

Make sure it is on a secure ground, metal on metal that is on the same ground circuit that your plugs, switches etc... are on.

 

Amen.... Most old houses are not grounded correctly.

 

The power strip it is plugged into is plugged into a GFI. It is an older how and I know this plus was added at a later date. Not sure how it was grounded but it is suppose to be a grounded circuit.

 

If your tank equipment is plugged into a properly wired and functioning GFCI receptacle there is no way you will get any stray current without tripping the GFCI.

Press the test button on the GFCI and see if it is working properly. If you are feeling frisky get one of the GFCI capable receptacle testers and also test it that way.

 

From my understanding, the ground probe draws stray current (if any) to itself and directs it out of the water. Sounds to me as if it is doing just that and by getting close to it you are feeling the current going to the probe. Yes, this is good but this also indicates "something" is leaking voltage into the water. Try taking out each appliance one at time and each time you remove something see it you still get the little poke.

 

had this same problem, turned out it was my heater, my poor finger went threw all that testing of equipment...

 

I bet you have a piece of equipment throwing stray voltage out. I would find what the culprit is.