How Important is adding GFCI and/or Extra Amps?

[Megability]

Setting up a new tank where I have 2x 20amp outlets, would that be enough for a big tank with all the goodies planned for eventually, or thinking I’d ask how important the group thinks adding either more outlets, amps, GFCI, or both would be, or is it more trouble than it’s worth? I see a lot of people have problems with GFCI, I have too but not in reef applications.

Thanks!

 

[Spieg]

Can't really say for sure without detailed list of planned load. By two 20 amp outlets do you mean 2 outlets (2 plugs each) on separate circuits to the breaker box? If so, this should be plenty for most home tank setups. I'm a firm believer in GFCI and would install a GFCI breaker for each circuit.

 

[Megability]

Well it’s a RedSea REEFER 625 so I’m thinking 3 of the 90w LEDs, largish return pump, large skimmer, 300w heater and probably a second for backup, etc.

No just 1 outlet, 2 plugs

 

[Spieg]

The one outlet should be sufficient for anything under 200 gallons so you should be okay there.
I would caution against those Red Sea lights though, they don't put out much PAR... better to spend the money on a better light.

 

[Brett S]

You will almost certainly need more than four actual plugs, but you can always plug a power strip or a controller into those two outlets. Like @Spieg said, if you are installing new circuits for the tank I would make sure that each outlet is on it’s own separate circuit. It won’t be significantly more time or cost to run two lines to the breaker box and that will give you some redundancy in case one circuit fails.

This is how my tank is set up and I’ve actually gone so far to have two return pumps and two heaters, with one of each plugged into the two different circuits. This actually saved me at one point when I had a GFCI trip while I was on vacation and the tank was able to keep running for several days with the one heater and return pump that still had power.

 

[Megability]

You will almost certainly need more than four actual plugs, but you can always plug a power strip or a controller into those two outlets.

Yeah I have a 12 outlet surge protector planned for 1 outlet, and the APEX power bar for the other outlet, that’s my plan so far at least.

 

[Uncle99]

GFI circuit is a must, power and water don’t mix.
Not worth your life, or home.
A return pump,skimmer, lights and wave makers will be fine on one circuit.
GFI that, cost me $10.00

 

[theMeat]

Gfci paired with a ground probe.
Two 20 amp circuits more than enough

 

[Megability]

The Neptune APEX PowerBar832 is not surge protected, correct?
Do people plug that into a surge protected power strip, and then also into a GFCI outlet?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Answer is how important is it to avoid fire or electrical shock
They are valuable additions as saltwater and electricity DO NOT mix

 

[Megability]

Answer is how important is it to avoid fire or electrical shock
They are valuable additions as saltwater and electricity DO NOT mix

Thanks, so you have ALL of your equipment plugged into surge protectors AND on GFCI outlets?
That was my question

 

[theMeat]

Thanks, so you have ALL of your equipment plugged into surge protectors AND on GFCI outlets?
That was my question

Not a bad idea. They do different things. The surge protection protects equipment. The gfci protects you and livestock

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks, so you have ALL of your equipment plugged into surge protectors AND on GFCI outlets?
That was my question

Thanks for clarifying- YES

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

2 20A circuits are enough for most tanks with today's higher efficiency equipment. Just add up your equipment amps, and don't exceed the 80% load per circuit. Another vote for GFI protection. Too much at stake not to have it.

 

[Megability]

2 20A circuits are enough for most tanks with today's higher efficiency equipment. Just add up your equipment amps, and don't exceed the 80% load per circuit. Another vote for GFI protection. Too much at stake not to have it.

Can you elaborate on “2 20A circuits”?

Do you mean 2 separate 20 Amp breakers at the electrical box, like 1 for each outlet, and each outlet has 2 plugs? (that seems like overkill)

or simply the 1 outlet, but 2 plugs, on a 20 Amp breaker? (my setup so far)

 

[Brett S]

Can you elaborate on “2 20A circuits”?

Do you mean 2 separate 20 Amp breakers at the electrical box, like 1 for each outlet, and each outlet has 2 plugs? (that seems like overkill)

or simply the 1 outlet, but 2 plugs, on a 20 Amp breaker? (my setup so far)

Two separate outlets on a single 20 Amp breaker has little benefit over one outlet on 20 Amp breaker. You just have four places to plug things in instead of two places, but that can easily be resolved with an outlet strip.

Two separate circuits has a big advantage in redundancy. If one circuit fails or a circuit breaker or GFCI trips then everything on the other circuit can continue to run and help keep your tank running in a degraded state until you can fix the problem with the first circuit.

That said, a single 20A circuit should certainly provide enough power, but again, it’s not the additional power that you get from two circuits, it’s the redundancy and fault tolerance.

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

Can you elaborate on “2 20A circuits”?

Do you mean 2 separate 20 Amp breakers at the electrical box, like 1 for each outlet, and each outlet has 2 plugs? (that seems like overkill)

or simply the 1 outlet, but 2 plugs, on a 20 Amp breaker? (my setup so far)

I guess I misread your OP. I see you said 2 outlets, not circuits. You can have as many outlets per circuit you want, as long as you don't exceed the load. But as I said earlier, your current setup will be fine as long as you aren't exceeding the 16A that would cause the breaker to trip. You will have to add up your total amperage to figure that.

 

[Billdogg]

When I ran the circuits for my DT and remote(basement) FT, I ran two complete 20A lines to both for a total of 4x20A breakers. All are GFCI. For the DT, each then splits to 4 outlets so that I have a total of 8 spots to plug things in.

For the FT, I did the same, but used 6 outlets for a total of 12 spots.

All outlets are outdoor rated so that they have at least some protection from splashes.

Unless the power strips are installed properly they can create as many problems as they "solve"(off the floor, proper drip loops for EVERYTHING plugged into them, etc)