[chrissylee13]

SO! i finally got a new betta today. they went on sale. :] and i've been in love with this little guy since he came in a week ago.

since he came in he has had this tiny hole in his dorsal fin with what look like bumps/warts around it. they're the same color as the rest of him. blue/white. before i decided to buy him i tried to find out what it was. most of what i read and saw led me to believe it's lymphocystis but i wanted other people's opinions. maybe it's scarring? i'm not sure what scarring looks like on a fish. lol..

all things considered he seems really healthy. he eats really well, and he swims around a lot. so it doesn't seem to bother him. but here's the best picture i could get. he doesn't sit very still.

 

[chrissylee13]

here's a little close up.

i'll try to get better pictures. but he's a bit jumpy and scared.

 

[Kim]

From what I've just read it can be pretty hard to tell. My thoughts are this: keep watching him for a few days to see if it progresses in any way. Of course, keep the water very clean and perhaps add a low dose of aquarium salt to prevent further infection. If it is lymphocystis, then it is a viral infection and can't be treated, so it must just run its course. However, if you are unsure and it seems to be getting worse, I would probably treat him with a broad spectrum antibiotic/antifungal (fungus clear by jungle labs has always been my favorite but I'm sure there are others out there as well) to see if it responds. Just make sure not to use salt and medicate at the same time though. If it doesn't respond, then at that time you should be getting a better idea of what it looks like and can make a more informed decision concerning lymphocystis. Just note that this is just my reasoning as I have never actually seen lymphocystis before...this is just what I would do to try and eliminate some of the variables. I'll be wishing you good luck with him!

 

[Tikibirds]

The fish starts growing small white pin-prick like growths on their fins or skin and this is often mistaken for Ich/Ick (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) in the early stages. It soon clumps together to form a cauliflower-like growth on the skin, fins, and occasional gills.

Or so says the all mighty wikipedia. I don't think it causes holes though..?

 

[chrissylee13]

yeah that's what i don't understand. the more i've read/seen the more i'm thinking it's not lymphocystis. but i still don't know what it is. the hole is very small as you can see. and then the lumps/bubbles are around the hole. they look different on each side of the fin. i did start treating him with a 1/2 tsp/gal of AQ salt though just to be on the safe side and we'll see how he looks in a week.

but like i said before, besides him being a little nervous around me he acts normal.

 

[Tikibirds]

hmmmm - if you just got him, poor water at the petstore may be the cause. Maybe caused by ammonia?

 

[Kim]

The fish starts growing small white pin-prick like growths on their fins or skin and this is often mistaken for Ich/Ick (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) in the early stages. It soon clumps together to form a cauliflower-like growth on the skin, fins, and occasional gills.

Or so says the all mighty wikipedia. I don't think it causes holes though..?

I read a few articles that said the bubble-like growths will eventually burst, leaving a hole. But I agree, it is very hard to differentiate from pictures of only one point in time. To the OP: how's he doing?

Hopefully it's just a little fin rot that will clear up with clean water alone... he's a lovely fish

 

[chrissylee13]

i actually work at petsmart in pet care, so i get to see every betta that comes in and i change the water for them just about every time they need to be changed. so i'm fairly positive it's not from poor water from the store. maybe from who ever ships them to us though? who knows!

i hope it's nothing major, i have bad luck with the pretty ones! :[