Pisces Press

The Pisces Press is the monthly publication of the Nassau County Aquarium Society. It is mailed to our members monthly,and to exchange editors quarterly. It contains original articles by our club members and selected reprints from other societies.

SHOCKING !!!
By Michael R. Foran

As aquarists we often worry about placing our fish in shock. Special precautions are taken to acclimate the fish to their new surroundings in an attempt to prevent shock from temperature change, pH change, etc. But how often do we take precautions to protect ourselves against shock? Shock, in our case, would be that from electrocution or the emotions involved with having a fire within our home. Over time we may become laxed in simple safety practices which could prevent these events from occurring. Following are some suggestions which will lessen the likelihood of the fore mentioned.

Outlet strips are often used with tank setups to connect multiple plugs into one wall receptacle. Where do we place the outlet strip? The most common places are on the floor or in the cabinet beneath the fish tank. Both positions described allow the potential for an electrical fault in the event of a water leak. By mounting outlet strip (s) on the wall behind the fish tank(s), at a height above the tank’s lowest point, two tasks are accomplished. First, the height of the outlet strip forces line cords connected to them to form a drip loop. The purpose of the drip loop is to guide water traveling along a line cord away from the cord’s plug. Since, without the assistance of mechanical force, water can not travel upwards water will fall off the line cord at the lowest point in the loop. Secondly, with the outlet strip mounted off the floor and away from the tank the possibility of water collection within the receptacles of the outlet strip is greatly reduced.

Inspection of outlet strips and appliance line cords and plugs should be periodically performed. Oxidation of plugs and receptacles are common, especially with salt water setups. When oxidation of mating electrical devices occur an electrical resistance develops across the connection, resulting in a voltage drop. A glowing connection then ensues, generating a centralized heating condition which eventually leads to melting/ignition of combustibles. If oxidation of an outlet strip receptacle(s) occurs discard the outlet strip. Plugs from line cords can be cleaned using electronic contact cleaner and an emory cloth. Line cords should be inspected for physical damage (worn insulation, pinched cordage, exposed conductors, etc.) and replaced by an authorized repair center whenever possible.

The hobby we share combines two substances, water and electricity, which when combined could produce a serious electrical shock. You may think, “equipment used on a fish tank does not provide enough current to deliver a fatal electrical shock.” Wrong! A shock of 200 milliamperes could be fatal to an adult in good health. (For reference a 25 watt light bulb requires over 200 milliamperes of electricity.)

If you had recent remodeling to the kitchen or bathroom of your home a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlet was required as per the National Electrical Code, due to the presence of water and electrical devices. Remember the picture of the tub of water and the hair dryer? Now picture this, a fish tank full of water and a submersible heater which cracks when you accidentally knock a rock against it. Ouch! A GFCI outlet protects against electrical shock in the event your body becomes a electrical path to ground. Simply, A GFCI outlet monitors for current leakage to ground. In most cases when a leakage of approximately 5 milliamperes is detected, the GFCI outlet activates. Check the rating listed on the GFCI’s packaging, the lower the trip value the better the protection. (It should be noted that in order for the GFCI outlet to properly activate a grounded, three prong plug, is required on the appliance connected to the outlet.)

There are three ways a GFCI can be installed; to protect its own receptacles only, to protect all outlets on the same electrical circuit or to protect only outlets past and including the GFCI outlet. The first choice is the simplest to wire, however if you are not qualified to change an outlet then a licensed electrician should perform the job. Lastly, extension cords with built-in GFI devices are available, these are a good alternatives when outlet(s) can not be changed.

One final subject, overloaded electrical circuits. Okay, so we setup a new 55 gallon tank, with heater, canister filter, air pump and fluorescent hood, now the circuit breaker for the wall outlet keeps tripping while the tank is running. Or, we are going to setup a fish room, how much current do you need? Here is a simple way to calculate electrical load (current). Most devices list their power requirements in wattage (W). To obtain current from wattage use this formula, Amperage(A)= Wattage(W) / Voltage(V).

For example, the 55 gallon setup uses a 250 watt heater, the canister filter is rated at 15W, the air pump 5W and the fluorescent hood rated at 40W. The combined wattage of these devices is 310W. Using the formula, Amperage = Wattage/Voltage, we have Amperage=310/120, therefore the ampacitiy being drawn is 2.58 amperes, assuming AC voltage is 120 volts.

I hope this article has enlightened <pun intended> everyone on the importance of safe fish keeping, now, enough about electricity safety, lets get back to our fish!