Cycling Larger Tanks

[MoonstruckMuse]

I'm currently in the midst of setting up a lovely new 125g tank for my arowana, and honestly, I haven't set up a tank in a few years now. I'm a bit nervous to be switching him over to this tank, haha. ^^" So yeah, any help with cycling tanks would be well appreciated.

Currently, the tank is filled with about 100g of water, 2 heaters & thermometers, 100lb fine gravel, and a strong canister filter with the pre-filter foamy material, carbon, and those porous ceramic rings/cylinders that help grow bacteria. Chlorine has been removed, gravel washed, everything's good. I need to go buy some more peat, and then that's mostly set.
The only problem I'm concerned about is the lack of bacteria. I don't think the general solution of throwing guppies into the tank would work unless I got a huuuuge load of them.

I was wondering if, rather then just adding ammonia, I could do something like...
Take the foam, sponges, & half the ceramic rings from my pre-existing 46g's filter, and switch it with the canister filter here. This would theoretically allow already existing bacteria to start to populate the tank, right? As for adding ammonia, could I stick a bit of raw meat in the canister's ceramic rings portion, rather then just letting it sit in my tank? Seeing the rotting meat always weirded me out a bit. ^^"
If this all does work, how long should I wait/how will I know when the tank is ready?

Erm, and as for stuff to check - pH, kH, ammonia, nitrates & ites, and err, then I'm set?

Wow, I haven't done this in a while.
edit: I just realized... perhaps this belongs in beginner questions? Sorry if it does, if a mod could move it if it does, I'd really appreciate it. =)

 

[edgun88]

Sweet. Yo have an arowana? I though they were illegal in the US. I want to get one but I dont want to get busted. What kind do you have?

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

Haha, I highly doubt mine's illegal - he's a silver (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum). Blacks, silvers, and the Jardinis are always being stocked in... all the tanks/LFS I've seen in this area. I do believe some of the Asian arowanas are illegal, since they're an endangered species... perhaps that's what you're thinking of?

Any help would be much appreciated, heh.

EDIT: Thanks, squid! I did that and everything worked out great, hehe. My aro's lovely. =)

 

[edgun88]

Haha, I highly doubt mine's illegal - he's a silver (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum). Blacks, silvers, and the Jardinis are always being stocked in... all the tanks/LFS I've seen in this area. I do believe some of the Asian arowanas are illegal, since they're an endangered species... perhaps that's what you're thinking of?

Any help would be much appreciated, heh.

Yea that's what I'm thinkning of. Where exactly do you live because I live in the Eastern US too.

 

[Squid]

You are right, bacteria in the filter is your best friend ..

So.. If you already have a tank that is up and running you do have a few options. The first as you have stated is to take some of the filter media from one tank filter and put it in the new filter. You have to be careful that you don't take too much though, as this could cause a mini-cycle in the old tank.

The alternative is to clone the new filter. You can do this by running it along side the other filter in the old tank for a couple or three weeks. This results in minimal impact on your old tank, with a cycled filter to add to the new tank.

What is the Bio-Load on your old tank (many fish), as this will help determine the amount of bacteria present in the old tank.

Perhaps some other arowana owner such as CFC may comment on how they have approached cycling such a large tank for this type of fish in particular.

Squid