I have a male crowntail that is about a year and a half old. He's been fine for most of the time I've had him but a month or so ago, he started having problems.
He developed what looked like a large tumor sort of lump right at the base of his dorsal fin. It was completely black, and showed up out of nowhere. It seemed to recede after every-other-day water changes with the addition of an antifungal, antiprotozoan and antibacterial additive (I can't recall the name but it turns the water deep blue and comes in a container shaped like a fish). After a few weeks it came back full-force, burst, and the inside was white but solid... It just looked awful.
This has progressed to the point where his dorsal fin is now missing a vertical piece right in the middle, and the tumor/blister/whatever it is is still there, and I'm concerned that it's going to start eating away at his body.
In addition, about a week and a half ago, the ends of his tail fin began to recede and continue to, despite my treatments (described in the form below).
While doing his water change today, I noticed that he seems to be bloated, or his stomach is distended. He's still acting fairly normally, eating well, and flaring as usual.
I don't know if these conditions are connected or not, and nobody around here can figure out what's wrong with him. I'm hoping there's someone out here who can help me before I lose him =/ Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!
(I'm working on getting pictures as references but my camera is out of commission at the moment so I'm trying to use my phone... not working so well, but we'll see how it goes!)
Housing
What size is your tank?
One gallon.
What temperature is your tank?
78 degrees
Does your tank have a filter?
Yes, standard carbon filter.
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
No
Is your tank heated?
It stays in the warmest corner of the house with no drafts, so the temp stays 78.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?
None
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
I feed him generic pellets as well as brine shrimp and bloodworms occasionally.
How often do you feed your betta fish?
Two or three pellets a day, bloodworms or shrimp instead of pellets once a week.
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
Partial every three days, 100% once a week.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
about 25% during partials, 100% once a week
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
Aquarium salt and water conditioner
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
I haven't yet =/
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
Missing a vertical section of his dorsal fin, open white blister/sore at the base of the missing section, tail fin has receded, belly is slightly distended.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
It hasn't changed much.
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
A month ago, give or take a few days
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
I was treating him with an antifungal/antibacterial/antiprotozoan water treatment as directed but I ran out, and it didn't appear to help (I was treating him for two weeks or so)
Currently continuing to do water changes and add salt and water conditioner during every change
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
Up until this problem, he's been healthy and active, with no problems
How old is your fish (approximately)?
About a year and a half or so
He developed what looked like a large tumor sort of lump right at the base of his dorsal fin. It was completely black, and showed up out of nowhere. It seemed to recede after every-other-day water changes with the addition of an antifungal, antiprotozoan and antibacterial additive (I can't recall the name but it turns the water deep blue and comes in a container shaped like a fish). After a few weeks it came back full-force, burst, and the inside was white but solid... It just looked awful.
This has progressed to the point where his dorsal fin is now missing a vertical piece right in the middle, and the tumor/blister/whatever it is is still there, and I'm concerned that it's going to start eating away at his body.
In addition, about a week and a half ago, the ends of his tail fin began to recede and continue to, despite my treatments (described in the form below).
While doing his water change today, I noticed that he seems to be bloated, or his stomach is distended. He's still acting fairly normally, eating well, and flaring as usual.
I don't know if these conditions are connected or not, and nobody around here can figure out what's wrong with him. I'm hoping there's someone out here who can help me before I lose him =/ Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!
(I'm working on getting pictures as references but my camera is out of commission at the moment so I'm trying to use my phone... not working so well, but we'll see how it goes!)
Housing
What size is your tank?
One gallon.
What temperature is your tank?
78 degrees
Does your tank have a filter?
Yes, standard carbon filter.
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
No
Is your tank heated?
It stays in the warmest corner of the house with no drafts, so the temp stays 78.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?
None
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
I feed him generic pellets as well as brine shrimp and bloodworms occasionally.
How often do you feed your betta fish?
Two or three pellets a day, bloodworms or shrimp instead of pellets once a week.
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
Partial every three days, 100% once a week.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
about 25% during partials, 100% once a week
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
Aquarium salt and water conditioner
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
I haven't yet =/
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
Missing a vertical section of his dorsal fin, open white blister/sore at the base of the missing section, tail fin has receded, belly is slightly distended.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
It hasn't changed much.
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
A month ago, give or take a few days
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
I was treating him with an antifungal/antibacterial/antiprotozoan water treatment as directed but I ran out, and it didn't appear to help (I was treating him for two weeks or so)
Currently continuing to do water changes and add salt and water conditioner during every change
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
Up until this problem, he's been healthy and active, with no problems
How old is your fish (approximately)?
About a year and a half or so
You also might want to get a Fungus Eliminator of some sort. 
