everything died!!!

werndogz · 07/07/2011, 07:27 PM

everything died today while I was at work! Before I left this morning I noticed that the temperature had gone up overnight by about 6 degrees, probably because I put the top back on the tank, but I don't know. I took the top back off and the tank cooled back down. Also the other day I put my hand in the water and got shocked, I wasn't sure so I tried it again and I got jolted again, so I tested the tank with a volt meter by sticking one probe in the ground of a socket and the other in the tank and got a reading around 80. All the corals and everything seemed to be fine though, but I went and bought a grounding probe anyway and it took the volts back down to zero. All my corals shrimp and crabs are dead, only the clowns and the snails and starfish are alive, but I think the starfish are going soon. what in the world happened?

javajaws · 07/07/2011, 07:46 PM

Probably a heater or powerhead gone bad. I'd do some serious testing of your equipment to see what's introducing the stray voltage and get rid of it immediately.

jwoyshnar · 07/07/2011, 07:49 PM

Grounding probe isnt a fix. You should have researched what was going.

wes1333 · 07/07/2011, 08:17 PM

Pull a powerhead retest, heater retest, so on tell you find your problem.

evo@32psi · 07/07/2011, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwoyshnar

Grounding probe isnt a fix. You should have researched what was going.

I hate to say it but he is right.

jcw · 07/07/2011, 08:49 PM

A grounding probe won't save you if you have significant stray voltage.

Run a GCFI outlet or circuit breaker along with the grounding probe. And find that faulty equipment before someone dies.

iwishtofish · 07/07/2011, 11:02 PM

I'm sorry to hear of your losses. Anyhow, welcome to Reef Central, even if under unfortunate circumstances!

I hope you can find the problem and start rebuilding!

unkel j · 07/08/2011, 12:21 AM

IMO you may have killed things by installing the ground probe. In my tank
I have a little (very little) stray voltage but NO amperage. If I hook up a ground probe the voltage drops but amperage rises. Volts don't shock you amps do.

sporto0 · 07/08/2011, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unkel j

IMO you may have killed things by installing the ground probe. In my tank
I have a little (very little) stray voltage but NO amperage. If I hook up a ground probe the voltage drops but amperage rises. Volts don't shock you amps do.

you should not have ANY stray voltage in your tank, grounding probes are used so that human beings don't get shocked to death, they do not add or lower amps! Holy Amperage Batman!
Here me now & believe me next week, please read up on important information like "electrical shock & the aquarium" before you listen to a post in a forum.

Michael · 07/08/2011, 12:38 AM

problem with having no ground probe is you become the path to ground when you put your hand in to do some husbandry etc and could be electrocuted, best to have a probe with a gfci and then you won't risk a shock, if the probe is wired properly the gfci would trip in any case and kill the supply before you could be exposed.

unkel j · 07/08/2011, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sporto0

you should not have ANY stray voltage in your tank, grounding probes are used so that human beings don't get shocked to death, they do not add or lower amps! Holy Amperage Batman!
Here me now & believe me next week, please read up on important information like "electrical shock & the aquarium" before you listen to a post in a forum.

I was wrong. I must have made a mistake last time I tested because I cant get the meter to read any amps now with or without the probe. I dont get shocked by puting my hand in the water so I assume that the stray voltage is not hurting anything but werndogz had something shorting out and actually sending current (not stray voltage) through the water.

geaux xman · 07/08/2011, 01:02 AM

one time i had plugged my return pump to an extension cord that didnt have a ground prong. that was the root of my stray voltage. it was around 6volts in the tank and i got a prett good jolt each time i touched the water. got that taken care of and added a grounding probe as well.

sporto0 · 07/08/2011, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unkel j

I was wrong. I must have made a mistake last time I tested because I cant get the meter to read any amps now with or without the probe. I dont get shocked by puting my hand in the water so I assume that the stray voltage is not hurting anything but werndogz had something shorting out and actually sending current (not stray voltage) through the water.

I didn't mean to call you out, I just don't want anyone to injure themselves with electricity, if he has a stray voltage problem, then it can be isolated and eliminated by unplugging one piece of equiptment at a time until you find the culprit. In the mean time, a grounding probe will help you avoid being the grounding path as Michael stated above, thus keeping you from serious harm.

werndogz · 07/08/2011, 07:58 AM

well it's the next morning and everything is dead except for the clowns, snails, and button polyps and a few of my green star polyps. What really sucks is that a friend of my sisters just gave me about $300 worth of SPS and LPS corals and they were all doing great, now they are all dead. My tank was looking the best it ever had and now the worst. Oh well only up from here. Oh and I think I found the culprit if it is the electricity and not the temp increase that killed everything. I bought a UV sterilizer a few weeks ago and it came with a cheap pump/powerhead, I think thats what was shorting out.

sporto0 · 07/08/2011, 10:14 AM

Sorry to hear that, hopefully you can restock & get over this mishap. You said your temp went up 6 degrees overnight, how high did it reach, 88-90 degrees? I don't think 6 degrees itself would do that but most certainly overheating could have. I hope you have found your stray voltage problem because thats an issue for your livestock as well as you. Good luck to you.

werndogz · 07/08/2011, 06:52 PM

k thanks.

moondoggy4 · 07/08/2011, 07:01 PM

Also do not have a top on the tank Evaporation is a good thing it helps to cool the tank. Second recommendation if you are having a problem post a question here and hopefully someone will answer quickly, this might have saved you a lot of grief and your life. Glad you are OK. I had my sons 33 gallon tank crash 3 times. You can always start over. Heaters can be a huge problem in this hobby I would recommend either the Ebo Jager slash Eheim heaters or the Via Aqua titanium heaters.

07/07/2011, 07:27 PM	#1
werndogz Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3	everything died!!! everything died today while I was at work! Before I left this morning I noticed that the temperature had gone up overnight by about 6 degrees, probably because I put the top back on the tank, but I don't know. I took the top back off and the tank cooled back down. Also the other day I put my hand in the water and got shocked, I wasn't sure so I tried it again and I got jolted again, so I tested the tank with a volt meter by sticking one probe in the ground of a socket and the other in the tank and got a reading around 80. All the corals and everything seemed to be fine though, but I went and bought a grounding probe anyway and it took the volts back down to zero. All my corals shrimp and crabs are dead, only the clowns and the snails and starfish are alive, but I think the starfish are going soon. what in the world happened?

07/07/2011, 07:46 PM	#2
javajaws Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 1,620	Probably a heater or powerhead gone bad. I'd do some serious testing of your equipment to see what's introducing the stray voltage and get rid of it immediately. __________________ Everyone has an opinion. Accept the fact now that someone isn't going to like yours sooner or later. Current Tank Info: 110g in-wall, ATI 8x54w T5, 2xMP40es, SRO XP-2000i, 2-part Ca/Alk, Apex controlled

07/07/2011, 08:49 PM	#6
jcw Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: elmhurst, il Posts: 1,778	A grounding probe won't save you if you have significant stray voltage. Run a GCFI outlet or circuit breaker along with the grounding probe. And find that faulty equipment before someone dies. __________________ I don't think Coral can live very long under Sun light. It's too yellow. ...get yourself some LED's. -eznet2u Current Tank Info: 125g DT, custom 30g sump, ATB elegance, eheim 1260, mp40 (too many failed wetsides), gyre 150 (love it)

07/08/2011, 12:38 AM	#10
Michael NTTH Rookie Help Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gloucester, England,UK Posts: 7,808 Blog Entries: 6	problem with having no ground probe is you become the path to ground when you put your hand in to do some husbandry etc and could be electrocuted, best to have a probe with a gfci and then you won't risk a shock, if the probe is wired properly the gfci would trip in any case and kill the supply before you could be exposed. __________________ Don't be afraid to ask questions, we in the new to the hobby are here to help you [For My Tank Spec,Photo Album,Articles and website, click on my name] MY Very Kindest and Warmest Regards , MIKE Current Tank Info: I have a 92 gal Corner Tank, and way too many pieces of equipment to list really, (proud member of the reef central corner club)

07/08/2011, 01:02 AM	#12
geaux xman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Posts: 3,279	one time i had plugged my return pump to an extension cord that didnt have a ground prong. that was the root of my stray voltage. it was around 6volts in the tank and i got a prett good jolt each time i touched the water. got that taken care of and added a grounding probe as well. __________________ - Miracles 180g 60x30x23" rimless FOWLR - Youtube video: Miracles 180g March 2013

07/07/2011, 07:49 PM	#3
jwoyshnar Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: 18441 Posts: 1,531	Grounding probe isnt a fix. You should have researched what was going.

07/07/2011, 08:17 PM	#4
wes1333 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 132	Pull a powerhead retest, heater retest, so on tell you find your problem.

07/07/2011, 11:02 PM	#7
iwishtofish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 4,949	I'm sorry to hear of your losses. Anyhow, welcome to Reef Central, even if under unfortunate circumstances! I hope you can find the problem and start rebuilding!

07/08/2011, 12:21 AM	#8
unkel j Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: prescott,az Posts: 325	IMO you may have killed things by installing the ground probe. In my tank I have a little (very little) stray voltage but NO amperage. If I hook up a ground probe the voltage drops but amperage rises. Volts don't shock you amps do.

07/08/2011, 07:58 AM	#14
werndogz Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3	well it's the next morning and everything is dead except for the clowns, snails, and button polyps and a few of my green star polyps. What really sucks is that a friend of my sisters just gave me about $300 worth of SPS and LPS corals and they were all doing great, now they are all dead. My tank was looking the best it ever had and now the worst. Oh well only up from here. Oh and I think I found the culprit if it is the electricity and not the temp increase that killed everything. I bought a UV sterilizer a few weeks ago and it came with a cheap pump/powerhead, I think thats what was shorting out.

07/08/2011, 10:14 AM	#15
sporto0 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Posts: 2,924	Sorry to hear that, hopefully you can restock & get over this mishap. You said your temp went up 6 degrees overnight, how high did it reach, 88-90 degrees? I don't think 6 degrees itself would do that but most certainly overheating could have. I hope you have found your stray voltage problem because thats an issue for your livestock as well as you. Good luck to you.

07/08/2011, 06:52 PM	#16
werndogz Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3	k thanks.

07/08/2011, 07:01 PM	#17
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	Also do not have a top on the tank Evaporation is a good thing it helps to cool the tank. Second recommendation if you are having a problem post a question here and hopefully someone will answer quickly, this might have saved you a lot of grief and your life. Glad you are OK. I had my sons 33 gallon tank crash 3 times. You can always start over. Heaters can be a huge problem in this hobby I would recommend either the Ebo Jager slash Eheim heaters or the Via Aqua titanium heaters.

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