Puckers has a lump on his side and is dying today. Please please help.

[Needhelpasap]

My 1 yr old male betta lives in a 2 gallon tank in 78 degree temperature with a filter. He has a large lump on one side. I have tried epsom salt in case it was constipation and had no luck. I've been doing 50% water changes every other day. This morning when I woke up he was struggling for air. I noticed the lump behind his fin about a week ago. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm really emotionally upset watching him struggle.
Thanks.

[SVC]

Hi Needhelpasap, welcome to to the forum and sorry it's under these circumstances. I am quite new here myself and don't have the epertise many have but I just wanted to say I know how it feels to see your little friend so uncomfortable and sick. :(

I am not expert but I just wanted to mention that I don't think constipation would look like that. I think that is a mass of some kind but what and whether it is curable would be better answered by someone other than me. I think constipation would result in bloating right under the belly which he looks like he has a bit of as well. Have you noticed if by any chance he has had any poops or not and what colour they are? If there is a situation with internal parasites he may have white, stringy poops and you could feed him medicated pellets that are available at Petsmart or the like.

Hopefully, someone with more knowledge than me will respond and give you better advice but I hope your little guy gets better!

[Indyfishy]

poor baby, that looks like a tumor =( Unfortunately, there's no way to cure a tumor, you just have to make him comfortable. Since he's having trouble getting to the surface, go ahead and lower the water level so he can reach it easier. Go ahead and add some epsom salt too, 1 teaspoon per gallon should be enough, it might help with the swelling. I know exactly what you're going through, I lost a betta to a tumor, and he had it in the exact same spot as your boy. It's soooo heart breaking knowing that there's nothing that can be done =/ If he continues struggling for air then he could pass at any time, but if he's able to pull through that then he could still have a few good months left in him.

[Needhelpasap]

Thank you both for the responses. I tried to buy the medicated pellets but Puckers wanted nothing to do with them. I hoped there was some way to cure him but if it is a tumor at least I know I'm not responsible for his illness. It's definitely difficult to watch him struggle and I'll apply more Epsom salt to help with the swelling. It's awesome to hear from people who care about their fish as much as I do mine. I'm not sure if I can handle going through this again. If anyone else has any ideas please let me know. Thanks again for the help.

[Indyfishy]

Another thing you could pick up for him is Stresscoat, it's a special water conditioner that helps soothe the fish and keep him comfy. I'm sorry you have to go through this, but it's really not your fault, and it sounds like you've taken really good care of him. Please don't give up the hobby, there are lots of bettas out there that need good owners like you.

[Sakura8]

Hi needhelpasap and welcome to the forum. I'm very sorry but Indyfishy is right, your betta has a tumor. There isn't much you can do under these circumstances short of having a veterinarian remove it, a stressful surgery that the betta may not live through. Definitely continue with the epsom salt, which will help with the swelling and pick up the API Stress Coat as Indyfishy suggests. If, at any time, he begins to be in distress, then you may need to consider doing what's best for him. If it comes to that, please post back. We're all willing to help you make the best decision possible and we'll be here to support you.

Hang in there and keep us updated.

[Needhelpasap]

Hi everyone. I just put Puckers to sleep a very humane way. He was still struggling to lift his body off the bottom of the tank and it was breaking my heart. My thanks go out to everyone for helping me during this very difficult time.

[Indyfishy]

I'm soooo sorry to hear about Puckers =( But I think you did the right thing, it sounds like he was at the end of his life. He lived a great life for a betta, and you took really good care of him!!

[ANHEL123]

So sorry you did what you had to do. Sorry. I hope you will rescue another betta. Good luck.

[ANHEL123]

I just want to add something about Epsom salt. Sorry it doesn't matter anymore but just for the future i didn't see anyone mentioned (i might missed it) but Epsom salt can be 1tsp/gall up to 3 tsp/gall with 100% daily water changes. And it can be long term.