High Temp and Cycling

Hi 3reefers!

I started my 20gal tank earlier this month and its been cycling ever since (borring ZzZz). However recently I noticed some rust on my thermometer I got from PetCo (supposedly "stainless steel" and shouldn't have rusted) so I purchased a new glass thermometer. Once I placed the thermometer in, it read about 89` F! The glass rod on the stainless steel thermometer shifted and was giving me a false reading of 77-79` F.

How bad is that for a cycling tank? I know that high temperatures in the 80's will help the bacteria grow faster but is 89` hot enough to kill the bacteria? Do you guys think this will lengthen my cycling time? Thanks in advance!

 

i would just check your parameters which is the real way to tell if it cycled , i dont think the temperature will make a difference, it may even make it cycle faster.

 

Check your parameters. That will tell you when it's cycled. Even if it did hurt the cycle, what have you lost? 2 weeks? No problem. Mine's been cycling since June 14th. It's done, and now I'm ready to add a cleanup crew in the next week or two. Then, after a month or so (if my parameters are good), I may start adding fish. Seems boring, but if you go slow you'll never regret it.

Also, stay away from metal in your tank. Saltwater can corrode it, and yes, Stainless Steel does rust (just not very quickly).

 

Consider getting a stick on therm...perhaps two one for each side. I have used them for years and have never had a problem with them.