These are great points to help alleviate the spread of bad information by proving the information that has been studied and recorded beyond just anecdotal assumptions!
I understand that the fish are not grounded so will not be shocked just being in the water if there is stray voltage, but I've been wondering if there are any studies that indicate whether or not fish could sense stray voltage with their lateral line and be stressed by it, thus potentially allowing health issues through reduced immunity?
Is it thoroughly proven that stray voltage has no effect on the fish at all?
To be clear, I am just asking the question with no implications, as I am just curious and have no known prior experience or evidence.
So - as you are probably aware, it actually needs to start with the people saying that stray voltage causes health issues to prove that is true, not for me to prove they are wrong (grin).
I can only speak about head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE) but stray voltage is frequently implicated in that malady. In my 2011 study, we ruled out stray voltage as a contributing factor for that.
The issue is that "stray voltage" can be measured in just about every aquarium, so it become a "cause and effect" issue for a whole slew of problems. That's why is have become such a "bogeyman".
As I mentioned though, stray/induced voltage is not the same as an electrical malfunction - those can cause human and fish issues, and can be dangerous. Most of the fish issues seen with electrical malfunctions seem to relate to the electrolysis of the water that happens - possibly the changing of sulfite to sulfide.
Jay