Aquarium safety is an important topic because today a large number of aquarium accessories are electrified. The word electricity and the word water do not go together very well.
Safety of the marine aquarium
And combining the two is not very soothing. Particular care should be taken when equipping a marine aquarium. The water in a marine aquarium is a solution of sea salts, or in other words it is an electrolyte that conducts electric current perfectly. Water in a freshwater aquarium contains salts in much smaller quantities, but even the amount of salts it contains makes it a good conductor. Only distilled water, which is not found in nature, does not conduct current. Therefore, when working with aquarium electrical equipment, a number of measures should be taken to reduce the risk of electric shock.
A few ground rules
First of all, all the equipment you use must be intact and in good working order. Twisted wires wrapped in duct tape are inadmissible!!!! All glass parts of electrical appliances that are lowered into the water, especially heaters, must be intact and without cracks.
Secondly, it is desirable to place all electrical equipment correctly and firmly in place. The lighting reflector that illuminates the aquarium from above should be fixed in such a way that it is deprived of any possibility of slipping into the water. Compressors are desirable to place on a shelf near the aquarium or on the lid of the aquarium, so that it was above the water level in the aquarium.
The fact is that if the valves of the compressor is poorly fitted, then after turning off he can suck water over the edge of the aquarium and all the water through it will spill out onto the floor. Well, and for the full happiness if you do not notice it in time and turn on the power, it still burns and … Let’s stop there. I will note that in modern compressors, I have not encountered such a thing, but as they say – “God protects him who is careful…”. Modern heaters are generally reliable, regardless of the manufacturer. It is only necessary to make sure that the glass bulb of the heater was intact, without cracks.
Thirdly and most importantly. No matter how confident you are that your equipment is in good working order, any maintenance work on your aquarium that requires contact with water can only be carried out with the equipment completely de-energized.
May your aquarium bring you nothing but joy!