fish tanks

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the blur

Senior Member
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cyberspace
what's the safety opinion on a fish tank, located in a location NOT required to be GFI protected.
GFI for safety. or no GFI due to nusiance tripping causing dead fish.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Fish tank in unfinished basement - there is more shock hazard - standing on grounded floor - GFCI protection is required here whether there is a fish tank or not.

Fish tank in your living room on a wood or carpet floor - where is the grounded object that is going to make it more of a hazard to contact the tank simultaneously?

Bathrooms - we have sinks and tubs that may have grounded objects in or around them like plumbing fixtures. Use the bathtub as your fish tank - GFCI required:)
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
One day I accidentally dropped the cover, lit fluorescent lamp and all, into the fish tank. The light stayed on underwater until the cord was unplugged. The fish didn't even seem to have noticed. I thought for sure I killed my kid's beloved (seriously, she loves all sorts of animals) fish.

I never could figure out why the light stayed on and the fish didn't die, but I am glad it worked out that way.
 

Rick Christopherson

Senior Member
This discussion reminds me that there are some people that mistakenly believe that water, in itself, constitutes a ground. I imagine it is just a childhood misconception that they held without ever questioning it. (There was a recent article about how childhood misconceptions can last long into adulthood.)

I remember when I was about 14 and arguing with my friend's father about this. Because he worked at the local power plant, he obviously knew more about electricity than some kid. :blink: He was adamant that even if you had a tub of water isolated from the earth by rubber or wood or something, that you would still get electrocuted by touching a live wire.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
One day I accidentally dropped the cover, lit fluorescent lamp and all, into the fish tank. The light stayed on underwater until the cord was unplugged. The fish didn't even seem to have noticed. I thought for sure I killed my kid's beloved (seriously, she loves all sorts of animals) fish.

I never could figure out why the light stayed on and the fish didn't die, but I am glad it worked out that way.

Any current flowing in the water was likely just from lampholder to lampholder. Also a small fish would not cross very much voltage gradient at one time vs a person, or large animals. This is why cattle or horses are even more sensitive to stray voltages than people - they have longer distance between contact points which can mean higher potential differences in the ground or water.
 

the blur

Senior Member
Location
cyberspace
I say the tank of water is completly insulated from ground because it is GLASS encased. so how are electrons flowing through the glass to ground ?

It's not like a pool of water, or a puddle in your backyard.
 

Rampage_Rick

Senior Member
Well, assume that either a light or pump somehow energizes the water (such as K8MHZ disclosed) It is completely insulated from ground up until the point where you walk up with bare feet and put your hand in the water.

A bathroom sink and cabinet could be entirely nonconductive (plastic, ceramic, corian, etc) and you still need a GFI. The risk from the water is it makes YOU a better conductor.

There's also the possibility of a splash or leak onto the floor, and now you have the equivalent to a puddle in your backyard.
 
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kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Well, assume that either a light or pump somehow energizes the water (such as K8MHZ disclosed) It is completely insulated from ground up until the point where you walk up with bare feet and put your hand in the water.

A bathroom sink and cabinet could be entirely nonconductive (plastic, ceramic, corian, etc) and you still need a GFI. The risk from the water is it makes YOU a better conductor.

There's also the possibility of a splash or leak onto the floor, and now you have the equivalent to a puddle in your backyard.

Walking up to it with bare feet only significantly increases risk if standing on a conductive floor such as what you would commonly find in a basement, garage, or outdoors - all places where GFCI protection would be required anyway.

Even if bath sink or tub is non conductive there is plumbing fixtures that may be grounded increasing the chance of electrocution in these areas.

A puddle on the floor is still insulated if it is a non conductive floor. A puddle in the backyard is likely to increase conductivity of the dirt it is located on.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
When I was about 5 or 6 I went to a friends house to swim in their above ground pool and I noticed with fascintion the pump and filter set up.

A few days later at my house I set up my wading pool and then got my 120 volt erector set motor like this one


2840301183u_7x424x360f


and tossed it in the pool. I ran a cord out from the garage and plugged in the motor. It ran fine and I was happy I had my own pool filter.

My sister comes along who was about 10 or 11 years older than I and sticks one barefoot in my pool with annother bare foot on the wet ground.

She got blasted, I never did because I never reached in the water. She still bust my chops about this.:p
 

the blur

Senior Member
Location
cyberspace
most tanks have a filter, air pump and light, which is doubtful it will ever cause a problem.

the heater is submersed in the water, and if the tube cracks, the heater will eventually fail. But that is rare. I have had heaters fill with water, and fail, but never energized the water.

I once got a shock turning the flouresent hood on, but I could never duplicate the problem. it was a rubber covered push button switch, and I removed the hood and examined it from the inside out. could not find anything wrong with it. I conclued it was a static shock.
 
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