Are surge protectors necessary with a gfci outlet?
 

???? I'm just concered about my apex, mp10s as well as the regular equipment (heater, skimmer, pump...).

surge and GFCI are two COMPLETELY different things.

Yes, you for sure need both!!!! Why risk any amount of high end equipment when they are both so inexpensive.

I bought a 6 outlet 1000 joule surge protector. Is that enough?

+1 on two completley different things. The GFI is there to protect you from shock, the surge protector protects your equipment from shock so to speak. I have always used surge protectors but didnt install GFI until i got whacked from a return pump that had corroded through about ten years back. Now anything that comes close to water not just tanks but bathrooms and kitchen outlets are all GFI

I bought a 6 outlet 1000 joule surge protector. Is that enough?

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I'm sure its enough. I use just a standard surge protector on my tank.

You should be fine with that. A surge protector will trip when there is a voltage spike from the power company or a high in rush of current. A GFI protects if a piece of equipment shorts out.

^ a GFI will detect if a piece of equipment shorts TO GROUND.

you could have a ballast short out and catch fire and the GFI will do nothing as long as the juice isnt flowing to ground.

also, GFI is the original correct term, gfci is redundant: the ground fault IS the circuit that gets interrupted. as in "ground fault" is a "complete path(circuit) to ground"

cool.cool. thanks.

I hope this isn't a hijack, but what is the difference between GFI and AFCI? Our new house has AFCI breakers. Would a GFI outlet still be needed?