Sneak Current and SPS

[JMBoehling]

RRC,

Anyone know much about the effects of sneak current from powerheads on SPS and other corals and inverts. I realize they have a negative effect on fish , possibly causing Lateral Line Errosion in Tangs, just ot sure about coral.

Realized last night at 10 pm I had (02) old powerheads leaking some voltage into my tank. They are gone, but wondering if it could have caused some RTN'n I recently experienced on some frags.

Thanks,

Jim

[will_w]

Jim, you should think about putting a grounding probe into your system. It should help avoid the problem in the future.

[JMBoehling]

Will,

I agree and disagree with the grounding probe.. If I had the probe I wouldn't have found my shorting powerheads which eventually would become a potential fire hazard.

The big question is how does this effect coral polyps? It sure doesn't have a negative impact on Red Bugs :)

Later,

Jim

[SunDragon]

There was a article awhile back and a thread here about people using electricity to stimulate the growth of artifical reef's in the wild. People were discussing doing it in there tanks at home, so it may have some info your looking for.

[gnrlee]

Maybe thats how you turned that digi from brown to yellow.

[AQUAN8TOR]

Steven, I've read that thread; they're talking micro-amps, not even milliamps, at least I think I remember correctly. Very good thread. I'll have to search when the search button isn't BUSY. As far as the ground probe is concerned, I've seen people in the very same situation as you, Jim, that wouldn't have found the powerheads without them. However; that being said, I wholeheartedly encourage EVERYONE to have a ground probe on their tank at ALL TIMES. If people are worried about stray current from the ground entering the tank, then attatch the end of the probe to a copper rod, or even a water pipe. Possibly even putting an inline fuse would help---in case of lightning. I'm no expert, but it seems to me that any huge surge would melt the fuse element before too much current could ever reach the water, provided the fuse was of sufficient (or rather small enough)
size rating.

[JMBoehling]

Originally posted by gnrlee
Maybe thats how you turned that digi from brown to yellow.

:lol: I hear yah Jason. Still betting on the Sun causing that:)

[ranceego]

i think almost all vho stray current out, so watch them also.