Az No3 - Bta - Euthanasia?

Bifferwine

Bifferwine

I am a girl
Hi,
I've been using AZ NO3 for about two weeks now, after trying everything on the planet to get the nitrates in my 55-gallon down, I added a 20 gallon sump/refugium with chaeto, I was doing weekly 12 gallon water changes, I cut back on feeding, I added hundreds more critters to my cleanup crew, I upgraded skimmers, I was running Nitrate Sponge and Denitrate 24/7, basically I tried everything before resorting to AZ NO3 because I've heard people have had mixed results with it.

Well, my nitrates dropped from 25 to 0 within a week, and then I started weaning my tank off of it per the directions on the bottle. In fact, although my system contains 75 gallons total, I was being extra cautious and was only dosing for a 50 gallon system.

And my BTA went downhill fast in the last two weeks, now it's just a sad little stump with no tentacles and a hole through its base. Yeah, I know, not good. I've had it for a while and it even split once and was growing really fast. All my other animals are doing fine, in fact all my corals look better than ever, in the past two weeks they have all grown faster than I think they've grown the whole time I've had them.

So how do you guys recommend I humanely put my BTA down? It's not dead yet, it's hanging on to life by a thread, but I think it is beyond recovery. I'm afraid it will die in the tank and make stuff nasty. I'm thinking of dunking it in vodka??? Any opinions?
 
I don't think there is any good way to kill something... but people always recommend put fish, etc in a bag of tank water and place it in the freezer.

I don't know if it is a good way or not, just what I have heard others recommend it.
 
Dont think that being frozen to death would be very humane.I never had to put a fish or invert down before , so dont really know any good humane way
 
I would say that the freezer option is only good if it is a fish that naturally hibernates. If this is the case the fish will go to sleep as the temp drops and then eventually will pass on. This is not the case with most fish we keep though. The only method I have ever found that appears to be slightly more humane is taking something like Denatured Alcohol and putting it in the freezer as it will not freeze but will become very very cold. Then remove the animal from the tank and place into the alcohol. The temp shock and alcohol usually work fairly quickly.
 
I think we are getting a bit over the edge here. everything memtioned has been discussed at great length by many hobbist, except the alchohol one. The consensus of other discussions if it really bothers you is the freezer bag with some aquarium water and into the freezer, next day take out and dispose of in your preferred manner however, DO NOT FLUSH DOWN TOILET ALIVE OR DEAD.
 
I unfortunately had to put it out of its misery last night. I don't think it could have been saved -- it had been in quarantine for nearly two weeks and was getting worse. Like I said, it had a hole the size of a dime in it's base (I could see right through it), it wouldn't attach to anything (it was just floating around on the bottom of the QT tank), it turned gray in color and had no tentacles. I used Squibleys suggestion (alcohol and freezer). Needless to say, I was very sad :-( as this had been a great anemone, that had produced a clone just a month ago. But I think my clown is even more upset than I am, and very confused :question:.

I'd recommend anyone thinking of using AZ NO3 to remove their anemones first, mine seemed to be affected after only a couple days of doses (using a fraction of what you build the dose up to eventually). I'm going to wait a REALLY long time before I get another one to make sure all the AZ NO3 is out of my system.

Thanks for all your suggestions. It may seem like a stupid question, but what can I say, I'm a vegan and it was a pet to me, even though it was a backboneless bag of flesh and water. My husband is the one who actually had to do the deed (I know, I'm a wuss).
 
Don't apologize! It is a sad thing! I never like having any of my pets pass on but sometimes it is more humane to stop the pain. I am inclined to believe you were right about the anemone and probably would have done the same thing.
 
it may not have been the no3 it may have very well cut its foot. I have had discussions in the past with good friends who have told me if they cut their foot just right it wont heal and they gradually die and being as you said there was a hole in the footing you may want to consider that as an option just a thought hope it help ease your pain :(
 
Yeah, who knows what it could have been. I just assumed it was the AZ NO3 since I had read that AZ NO3 sometimes had this effect on other people's anemones (but not all) and that was the only thing different I did with my tank.
 
Yeah I just didnt want you beating your self up over something like this that very well could have been from a torn foot. :)
 
Yeah, after the anemone went downhill, I moved some of my other favorite/expensive inverts to the quarantine tank to try and spare them the same fate.
 
Everyone else is doing fine! My other corals look better than ever. I think my red firefish had babies, there are a bunch of little pink tadpole looking things hiding under their rock? I have no clue what else they could be. They look like baby fish, but they'll have to grow a little bit more before I know for sure. I'm hoping at least a couple will survive and not get eaten by the other tank denizens.
 
biffer I found an article today in Aquarium Fish Magazine January 2007 I think you should read. They are talking about DSB and how they are more harmful in the long run than beneficial. That the DSB retain detritus that over time become nutrients and the excess nutrients fuel algae outbreaks.It also says that fish waste contains phosphate.

I have been telling jelly that I'm not putting a dsb in my tank and now I have a little backup. I always felt like it wasn't as good as people said. The reference for this article is online here is the link:
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Feature Article: An Experimental Comparison of Sandbed and Plenum-Based Systems. Part 1: Controlled lab dosing experiments
 
Thanks jermy, I'll check it out. I have a DSB in my fuge, but not in my main tank... In retrospect I think I should have done it my main tank, but I set it up before I knew what I know now. I've heard of lots of people having successful tanks without a DSB, it's a matter of preference I think, since everyone's system is different. Whatever works.

Haha jermy and jelly. You two crack me up.
 
Glad to hear it biff Im funny and hes funny looking so were quite comical when you get us in one room as for the dsb jerm I believe if you have enough creatures stirring your dsb that it is fine Im going to get some sandsifters for my tank you know how deep its bed is well use it for a test tank. BTW chell has decided to let me have my tank finally and we found a spot for it so if the one at bermuda is gone next month then Ill be on the lookout for a tank. ")
 
Alright i'm bringing out the big guns now. Here is a picture of jelly:
jellyman.JPG
 

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