That is definitely a safe option! I do have a switch set up on my Apex to turn everything off but I really created that in the event of a catastrophic water leak. Even though I use a ground probe I may consider doing that.
Glad to know you are using one! I keep mine in a magnetic probe holder with my temp and pH probe. Works very well for me but I realize not everyone used probes.
The wall would be better, but it should work just fine plugged into your power strip.
Ideally, a ground probe should have nothing to do but reduce induced voltages in the aquarium. It's strictly a safety precaution for an electrical failure inside the tank.
Unfortunately, I don't think so. Have you tried using a different USB cable? It sounds more like a voltage issue between your Reefkeeper and your computer.
Yes tried different cable and different unpowered hub. Same result. I ca take the probe out of the sump and out it in a glass of tank water and it acts right. Put it back in the sump and it goes loopy again. Them reef keeper is plugged into a 3 prong grounded outlet. There is no other option to ground. Same with the
I think using a ground probe is important anyway, but I doubt it will fix your issue.
Higher voltage hardly saves any power. Higher voltage allows for lower current for the same power. That does save some loses but it is fairly negligible at the household level. A 300w heater will use almost the exact same amount of power at 22oV as at 120V.
There is nothing wrong with the use of portable GFCI's. In fact, I like the idea of using them for individual loads. These are fantastic when used in conjunction with grounding probes.
