Pleco and electricity

[LINDAPETERSEN]

I found this form while trying to find a answer to my problem.I will try and give all the details without making this too long J.Last night my pleco tried repeatedly to jump out of my 125 gallon tank.I ran over to see what was wrong, stuck in hand in the tank and got a huge shock.I quickly unplugged EVERYTHING.(fillstar canister filter, 2 air pumps, 2 LED light bars-on top of tank, 2 LED light bars in tank, small in tank aerator and light).Took each piece into the bathroom and plugged them into the GFI outlet there.Nothing tripped the circuit.What now??It sounds like stray voltage would have only given me a little shock and this was worse than that.And why didn’t it effect the other fish.The pleco was the only one going crazy.I’m not sure that he is going to make it, he looked really bad this morning when I had to leave for work L.I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions.The only other fact might be that I had just shampooed the carpet, but not right in from of the aquarium.

 

[mikem691]

More likely the heater.

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[LINDAPETERSEN]

I don't run a heater in that tank, It only has goldfish and the pleco in it.

 

[Saekalive]

Plug 1 appliance in at a time and see which one shocks. Fool proof method. A little shovck for 1 second won't hurt him too bad. Plecos are hardy fish

-Weston --Sent Via The Space Time Continuum--

 

[LINDAPETERSEN]

I did that with the filter last night. Everything was fine for a while and then he was jumping again. Would it be possible that the filter is only electrifying the water intermittently? Or can the filter be the problem at all since it is outside the aquarium?

 

[fish wrangler]

Even though the canister is outside the water still has to run through it.

Try what Saek said, but put two fingers on one hand into the water to test for shock. Two fingers so the electricity only runs through one finger and around to the other. Its an old timer way of testing wires to see if they are live or not, no mechanical failure

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[LINDAPETERSEN]

Really, I'm afraid to try it after the jolt I got last night.

 

[PassengerTN]

Would you rather take a little shock or lose your fish? You decide. The electricity is coming from either the filter, or your underwater lights, as nothing else makes contact with the water column. Just because it doesn't trip a gfci outlet doesn't mean anything.

 

[fish wrangler]

The way i described will only give you a jolt. If you just stuck your arm in the water and where grounded the current would have gone through your body, this can kill you. Two fingers on the same hand won't kill you, but it will hurt.

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[fishliker]

Wow. That's scary. If it were me I'd try to find someone who knows what they are doing to troubleshoot and fix things.


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[Mebbid]

Or just you know... get a volt meter. They ar common and reasonably cheap.

 

[Brookster123]

Can fish even get electrocuted? Aside from an electric eel of course.. but wouldn't it just be a response to something severely off in its environment? We get shocked because we're grounded..

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[fish wrangler]

Or just you know... get a volt meter. They ar common and reasonably cheap.

Well now thats no fun, but probably a lot safer.

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[LINDAPETERSEN]

Ok. I got a meter and with the filter and two air pumps it reads 14.0. When I add the two canopy lights it goes to 26.5. Is that acceptable? The lights are marine life led lights.

 

[fish wrangler]

Ok. I got a meter and with the filter and two air pumps it reads 14.0. When I add the two canopy lights it goes to 26.5. Is that acceptable? The lights are marine life led lights.

In the water is reading that?

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[LINDAPETERSEN]

No the lights are just setting on the glass canopy

 

[fish wrangler]

What where the two probes touching when you get the readings?

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[Link119]

Where are you putting the two contacts when you are measuring the voltage? I would test by plugging one pin into the ground of an household appliance plug (the circular prong below the two slots) and the other in the tank water. Anything above 10 volts or so means it is not safe if you are sticking your hand in the water. And yes, fish can actually get shocked, if there is a voltage across the length of the fish.

 

[LINDAPETERSEN]

I have the black one in the ground "hole" of a grounded extension cord and the red one just in the water