Do u unplug your heater/filter before sticking arm in tank?

[DepotFish]

I don't unplug my filters. I hear some filters can't/shouldn't be shut off or unplugged unless you take special care that the bacteria stays wet.

 

[Guest]

I will have to say that no I dont turn off anything unless the water level is going to be affected. IE the heater is going to be out of the water or a pricey pump is going to run dry. I guess this would be a good reason to install a GFI circuit in the wall behind the fish tank, but honestly I dont really think about the repercussions of an electrical problem happening when my arm is in the tank. All I can say thow is if it does happen make it quick!

I guess I've been desensitized by hanging on a rope a couple hundred feet above the ground and being held in by a small piece of climbing hardware, and or by being stalked by a predatory animal that can very easily delete me from the living.

 

[plecoperson]

I never do anything for my own safety, 'cause I'm lazy and want to devote the time saved to making sure the fish are safe. Sad, really. When I worked with saltwater tanks I got shocked pretty much every time I put my hand in the tank. Between that and the anemone stings....

Kinda stupid!

 

[kaz]

I don't turn nothing off hoping, wishing there is a electricity running thru so every time I need to touch inside the take I alwasy send my wife first. lol just kidding not even married lol

 

[chotie]

'cause I'm lazy and want to devote the time saved to making sure the fish are safe.

you mean...

'cause I'm lazy and thats it.

8)

 

[rjouben]

I unplug the heater when I stick my arm in the tank, not because I'm afraid getting shocked, but because I don't want to burn my hand on the thing.


~rj

 

[talloulou]

I forgot to unplug the heater on one of my tanks before a water change and when I started to refill the tank the heater sizzled, sparked, and then exploded. I thought all my fish were fried but they were all fine. Not one seemed in the least affected. The biggest problem was trying to keep the bigger fish from trying to play with the glass as I cleaned up the mess. I often wonder what could have happened if my hands were in there at the time. Are fish easily electrocuted or are they easily protected since they aren't grounded.....kind of like a bird can land on an electric fence without being shocked unless the bird is heavy enough that the wire droops and touches the actual fence...anyone know?

 

[DeFeKt]

so like if there was an electrical current going through the water, wouldn't the fish be dead???

Are fish easily electrocuted or are they easily protected since they aren't grounded

You are correct
They are not earthed. The curcuit doesn't get complete until something, ie. a human body with no footwear or means of insulation, touches the water and the current is able to earth through them.
But even then i'm unsure if the fish would be affected as the current would not be going through them.

Perfect example here.

kind of like a bird can land on an electric fence without being shocked unless the bird is heavy enough that the wire droops and touches the actual fence

 

[Guest]

Ya'll all are forgetting one key fater here. It' not watts that kill it's volts.a 50 watt heater only produces 5 volts of eletricite. And that's just like graping a hold of your lawn mowers spark plug wire. it's going to knock the piss out of you but it's not going to kill you.
I've had a heater brake in the tank before and all the fish where laying on the bottom. I stuck my hand in the tank to see if I could see or find the proplum was. I very very quickly pulled it out. But then as soon as i unpluged the heater. The fish started swimming again. It's just enough current to make pee your pants but no where near enought to kill you.

 

[plecoperson]

'cause I'm lazy and thats it.

Well, I've had a good run; if I get zapped working on my tank I'm OK with that

 

[BillD]

Ya'll all are forgetting one key fater here. It' not watts that kill it's volts.a 50 watt heater only produces 5 volts of eletricite. And that's just like graping a hold of your lawn mowers spark plug wire. it's going to knock the *beep* out of you but it's not going to kill you.
I've had a heater brake in the tank before and all the fish where laying on the bottom. I stuck my hand in the tank to see if I could see or find the proplum was. I very very quickly pulled it out. But then as soon as i unpluged the heater. The fish started swimming again. It's just enough current to make pee your pants but no where near enought to kill you.

It is actually amperage (current) that kills. That is why the lawnmower will zap, but not likely to kill you; high voltage, low amperage. A 50W heater would draw about .5 amps, but if the wire is exposed, that feeds the heater, you have access to the full amperage available, which is usually 15 amps. If you aren't grounded, than you will get a jolt and possibly nothing more. Still, electricity is not something to take lightly.

 

[BillD]

Kind of blows the common misconception that water is a good conductor of electricity. It isn't.

what? water is one of the best conducters of electricty. just because a light fixture fell in and nothing happen does not prove anything but luck 8)

If the water was a good conductor, the contacts would have shorted out and the light would have gone off. It stayed lit, in both cases, until I pulled the plug. You can run a small voltage motor in FW with out a problem. If water was a good conductor, it would short out. SW is a different story as it is conductive.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Just a funny quick story. I was changing light bulbs at work and got pulled away by a customer. I went back to the tanks and forgot to shut the power off and touched the exposed wires to the light fixture (or something, I'm still not sure if that is what it was).

It shocked my hand enough for me to lose movement in it for a day or so, and it hurt a whole bunch. I still don't know what would have happened had I been touching or had my arm immersed in the water..I don't want to find out.

And no, I don't unplug anything when I do water changes, but I do make sure the power is off at work.

 

[chotie]

Kind of blows the common misconception that water is a good conductor of electricity. It isn't.

what? water is one of the best conducters of electricty. just because a light fixture fell in and nothing happen does not prove anything but luck 8)

If the water was a good conductor, the contacts would have shorted out and the light would have gone off. It stayed lit, in both cases, until I pulled the plug. You can run a small voltage motor in FW with out a problem. If water was a good conductor, it would short out. SW is a different story as it is conductive.

looks like we are both right. i stand corrected.
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae61.cfm

 

[tropicfishman]

nope, not afraid of a little electricity, I find it s a good idea if I hold onto the end of stripped extension cord while its plugged in fora good drounding LOL DO NOT DO THAT ITS A JOKE LOL

 

[hashbaz]

I highly doubt sticking your arm in a fish tank could kill you - unless you were standing in a puddle, or your pacemaker short-circuited. (*edit* I should have said "highly, highly, UNLIKELY to kill you)

If something broke in your tank, it would likely trip the breaker. It is also likely that the "ground" on the device would portect you. It is also likely that the rubber on your shoes or the electrical-resistance properties of the carpet would protect you. All of this means little risk.

If you really wanted to be safe you could get a grounding probe for your tank, and a GFI outlet. Because I am forgetful, I don't like to turn things off.

 

[supermazz9]

Kind of blows the common misconception that water is a good conductor of electricity. It isn't.

what? water is one of the best conducters of electricty. just because a light fixture fell in and nothing happen does not prove anything but luck 8)

ummm...I may be wrong here, but just H2O is a crappy conductor of electricity. Its everything dissolved in the water that conducts. Kindofa mute point that doesn't mean a lot here, just saying that if I remember correctly (often NOT the case) pure H2O is a poor conductor

 

[BillD]

The above is correct. the conductivity of the water would be related to the amount of stuff dissolved in the water. Hence, the use of a conductivity meter to measure the Total Dissolved Solids in the water. What might be safe in FW, might be dangerous in SW.

 

[WillMurf]

A 50W heater would draw about .5 amps, but if the wire is exposed, that feeds the heater, you have access to the full amperage available, which is usually 15 amps.

0.006 amps can kill a man at a high voltage!

 

[Alshain]

Guys, your devices have and AC to DC converter in them, most likely if your heater breaks your only going to feel the brunt of the DC power which isn't much. In my line of work, I absorb 12V DC daily. Its only when I stick my hand inside the 110V converter box that I really have to have my head on my shoulders.

EDIT: BTW, despite what the translation on the forums says, in this context AC means Alternating Current, not Activated Carbon. As far as I'm aware, nobody has come up with a way to convert Activated Carbon to Direct Current (think of how rich you would be if you could)