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View Full Version : Stray current or what?


microlady
03/17/2016, 09:33 PM
Warning: Long story

I am really about to give up for good. This is the second time my tank is in the fallow period, and my surviving three fish have been treated for marine ich with TTM (I also administered some formalin baths because I am super paranoid). They have been in the quarantine tank for a couple of weeks now with no symptoms.

A local guy was breaking down his tank so I took his yellow tang. He had him for 4 years so I really doubt he is infected with anything, but I do plan on putting him through TTM before adding him to the display in May. So I added him to the quarantine with my other three fish last Saturday. This tang is a sweetheart, and really calm. He isn't skittish like so many are, and will swim up to the front of the tank to welcome you.

Well today I noticed a major behavioral change. There was a tiny bit of ammonia in the quarantine (couldn't seed from the display due to the ich but I ordered some Biospira that should be here tomorrow) that I was keeping at bay with Prime and water changes. After a 50% water change today, I noticed he was breathing heavily, darting around the tank, etc. I decided to siphon out a bit more water to make sure I eliminated the ammonia, and then I felt a slight tingly shock to my right hand. I have a tiny cut on that hand so I guess that is why I didn't feel it on my other one. After some investigating, it turned out to be a faulty powerhead. I feel so bad for the fish, but maybe he was reacting to the electrical current in the tank. There really is a slim change that he is sick because his former owner had him in a lightly stocked reef for 4 years! I doubt he carried in a disease, and I am pretty certain my surviving three fish are clean now. Plus, I don't think he has had time to get sick from them in just a few days. This hobby is so stressful!!! I guess we will see how he behaves tomorrow and I'll keep my eye out for more symptoms.

Has anyone heard of this happening and could this be the problem? My fairy wrasse was acting a bit jumpy before I removed the powerhead too. I really don't want to lose any other fish. Should I buy a grounding probe? All of our outlets in our new home are supposed to be GFI, but I still got a minor shock. Everything I've read on them is so confusing.

microlady
03/17/2016, 09:42 PM
I can always run everyone through TTM again and/or hyposalinity just in case it is ich again.

krullshards
03/17/2016, 09:50 PM
I dunno, I read something somewhere that made some sense to me. It said, for "stray current" to occur, the electricity has to have a place to go. A path to ground. Adding a grounding probe seems to complete that circuit and would likely cause the "stray current" that we worry about in the hobby.

Having a bit of an electrical/electronics background, the explanation made sense to me. It's the same reason birds aren't shocked off of power lines. The electricity doesn't have a path to ground. It shocked your hand because the electricity can travel through your body into the floor.

Just a thought, I'm not really sure that that is the whole story, but, as I said, it made some sense to me.

I agree, this hobby CAN really be stressful. I got into it because I had heard watching fish was a stress reliever! sigh. Now I'm hooked.

microlady
03/17/2016, 09:58 PM
This hobby hasn't been a stress reliever for me this past year! It has caused lots of stress. Could the tang's symptoms be related to the stray current? It is hard for me to believe it developed ich in a few days after being disease free for 4 years.

jbvdhp
03/17/2016, 11:51 PM
I've had several bad heaters release some current into the water. It's shocking, pun intended.

I have since used grounding probes, cheap on Amazon.

microlady
03/18/2016, 06:53 AM
Would this cause symptoms in fish? I know tangs have a sensitive lateral line.

Dmorty217
03/18/2016, 08:06 AM
Would this cause symptoms in fish? I know tangs have a sensitive lateral line.

It can and will depending on how much stray current is in the tank. I just lost two expensive angels to a WP60 that I threw on my tank to add a little more flow but ended up putting stray voltage in the water... Enough to suffocate two of my beloved angels in a 125g QT. Quality equipment will prevent this most of the time. The grounding probe is confusing to me since if there is no path to ground the voltage shouldn't hurt anything, only when you add a grounding probe would the stray voltage actually shock you or your fish

microlady
03/21/2016, 01:56 PM
The fish are all better now after I removed the faulty pump. Thanks!

krullshards
03/21/2016, 02:04 PM
Thanks for the update!

Deinonych
03/21/2016, 05:55 PM
The fish are all better now after I removed the faulty pump. Thanks!

Yay! :thumbsup: