# Electrocuted!!!



## jeromeetabuzo (Nov 1, 2012)

hey guys while today when i was getting water from our monster fish tank (2 big pacus , albino oscar , upside down cat and a big pleco).... i scooped a few water from the fish tank and suddenly when i touched the water i was electrocuted!! it was painful!! i dont know why i got electrocuted the wire must be wet... Or is it in my filter? any advice will be appreciated


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Heaters and lights are the most common culprits but anything with a cord can zap you if you complete a circuit. Tap strips, extension cords, filters. Cords can get a small nick in the insulation, you can get water in an outlet, the white salt crust where the spray dries can carry electricity. In theory, to fix this, you'd unplug everything, test with a multimeter from water to ground as add back in one by one. But I'm not a electrician, so if I get you killed, don't sue me. I'd check the lights for water and the heaters for splits first, though. 

Ground fault interrupters can save you from being zapped, but can leave your tank powerless if they trip when you aren't home or watching. IME, they seems to trip for no reason I can see at least twice a year.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Stand on a block of styrofoam when working in the tank. That makes things much less shocky. The current ignores you when you aren't grounded.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

^^
True. 

I have never had that problem before. Always wear socks though so who knows.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

stick your tongue in the water and see if it happens then too...


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Clean and dry everything. It's very rare that an appliance is actually leaking electricity into the water, but stray currents are often caused by conductive surfaces. Get rid of any crusty stuff and moisture and you'll usually get rid of any shocky electricty in the water.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

^^ Loha, that's funny. Lol.


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