Pump leak electricity

**jeffL** · 23rd Jun 2010, 01:48

I have three pumps in my tank, and today one of them stopped working which i didnt notice until i stick my hand into the tank to clean it, i got an electric shock!

At first i thought was my hand got static, so i use a metal tong and clean again and got another electric shock..ouch.

I have since remove and throw away the faulty pump. Can anyone explain why my fishes inside the tank never feel a thing, very strange. They are perfectly ok.

**vinz** · 23rd Jun 2010, 16:05

Because electricity does not travel through water, but on the surface of the water. You get shocked because your hands/arms touch the surface of the water. The fishes don't because they are suspended in the water.

If however, the fishes feed from the surface, or gasp for air at the surface, or jump out of the tank, they will experience the shock when they touch the water surface. Did you notice that your fish stopped eating or eat less?

**Jimmy** · 23rd Jun 2010, 16:40

wah, sounds so dangerous... any way to detect such thing?

**vinz** · 23rd Jun 2010, 16:56

Test pen. Just get any test pen and touch the water.

**rafimo** · 23rd Jun 2010, 18:45

we feel the shock that because our body complete the flow for the electricity .....to the ground that we stand. ......

**jeffL** · 23rd Jun 2010, 21:35

My fishes still went up to the surface to feed as usual. My friend told me its because we are grounded thats why we feel the shock, like what the poster mentioned above. The fishes never touch the ground so do not feel the effect.

Kind of dangerous to think what i've encounted. Better buy a test pen in future.

**vinz** · 23rd Jun 2010, 22:10

That answer is more applicable in this case.

But electricity does tend to stay or travel across the surface.

http://faculty.deanza.edu/donahuemar...toryReader$583 (About a 1/4 down the page, blue text. The question is "Why can't you swim during a lightning storm? A strike on a lake doesn't kill all the fish in the lake."

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...1115700AAyxN2l

http://marinebiologyoceanography.sui...ning_kill_fish

**nettian** · 27th Jun 2010, 12:36

it is very dangerous. usually i do not like to use submersible pump.

**green palette** · 30th Jun 2010, 14:40

very dangerous! it is advisable that if you have any submerged equipment especially those with wires which go into the tank, to wear a pair of clean indoor slippers with rubber soles. better to be safe than sorry =)