Grounding probe?

[Loverotties]

Originally Posted by Kevin1000

My 02

The issue of ground probes is often debated on various forums.

Those who are not in favor point out that voltage in aquariums won't harm anything and that adding a ground probe has the potential to create current which can. I am unfamiliar with anyone who has done any test to determine whether stray voltage has any impact on livestock (or how high this voltage would have to be before it would have a significant impact). Not much has been done on what level of current would harm the fish either - the one test I recall reached the conclusion that the minuscule current generated by a ground probe is unlikely to harm anything.

People are under the belief that a GFI will always trip if there is an electrical issue in the tank .. not true. If you have an open hot wire in the tank at the same time you have an open neutral wire (say the power cord of your power head was sufficiently frayed) - the GFI won't trip. If you stick your hand in the tank you become the ground and hopefully the GFI will trip. If you had a grounding probe in the tank the GFI would have tripped.

I prefer to protect myself and my family over the purely theoretical argument that ground probes harm livestock.

They have done test and have said it helps LLD.Look up and you'll see test of it.

[Kevin1000]

What is LLD?

[tellycoleman]

wasnt there just an article that stated that Australia is using electricity to speed coral growth. I wonder are they using low amps or volts

[Aaron Gifford]

Originally Posted by jesspaul

http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM...ingProbes.html
I don't think they are a good ideal! A current leakage detector would be better. The above link goes into the dangers of a grounding probe in great detail.

Notice how this guy repeatedly use terms like "in my opinion", and "my belief". I'm sorry to say that by utilizing a grounding probe, you are redirecting the current to the circuit breaker, which IS the purpose. I would rather my tank experience a millisecond of current before tripping the breaker, opposed constant voltage. That's just inhumane. Think of it like this, In your bathroom, hopefully, you have GFI wall sockets to protect you from current if an electrical item is dropped in water. Without it you are most likely dead. And by the way, Amperage KILLS. -Aaron, 4 year residential/commercial electrical certified.