[mderousse]

Hello all,

My oldest child Cassius has not been feeling well for some time now. I had a slight increase in nitrates about a month ago, which was managed through water changes and is now back to normal. However, my boy has two symmetrical bumps on each side of his body and I am seeking help!

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 10 gallons
Does it have a filter? Yes
Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank? 80
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? Yes, air stone
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? Small snails

Food:
What food brand do you use? Fluval Bug Bites and Omega One Netta Buffet
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets
Freeze-dried? No
How often do you feed your Betta? How much?
Twice a day a couple pellets each

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? 1-1.5 weeks at a time
What percentage of water did you change? 25%
What is the source of your water? Tap
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Vacuum substrate
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Prime and StressCoat

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.0
Hardness (GH): I use the API masterkit which does not have GH or KH
Alkalinity (KH):

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? 1 month ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? He has two symmetrical bumps on each of his sides directly behind his pectoral fins
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? He seems more lethargic and does not casually swim around like before
Is your Betta still eating? Yes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? Have been treating with tannins from IAL
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? No
How long have you owned your Betta? 1 year 8 months
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? No

He still responds when I talk to him and feed him, however I just dont feel like he is his best self and hasnt been since the bumps arrived. He doesnt even seem to notice the bumps, but his swimming has changed based on lethargy and his fins do not look any better throughout this time either. I want to believe it's nothing to worry about but because his behavior hasn't improved and his fins haven't healed much, I am worried.

I have Kanaplex on hand if anyone believes this may be bacterial or fungal. Please let me know any advice or any other information I need to provide!!

 

[JackTheCaptain]

Hello -I was wondering if he is still pooping?

 

[EDRVT]

The IAL are providing tannins. Would there be any additional treatment recommendations? @Feanor, @RussellTheShihTzu, @Rose of sharon?

 

[Feanor]

I‘m sorry your Betta has issues.

As - to my knowledge of Betta anatomy - there‘s only the swim bladder reaching that far behind and maybe a bit of the kidney, I have to assume, that this is some form of growth/tumor.

Him being rather skinny would support this assumption. Sometimes, those growths almost consume about anything that goes into the fish.

As you can‘t do an awful lot about the growth, you could just keep on with your good water care plus the tannins and spoil him with some frozen food if he‘s willing to take it.

 

[Rose of sharon]

I agree with @Feanor's assessment as well. He is a cute little boy, too!!!

You can try soaking his pellets in garlic juice to give him an immune system boost, if he will go for it. Garlic juice and garlic laced foods are used for picky eaters, too.

Just cut up some garlic, soak it in some water for a while, and then soak his pellets in the garlic juice to soften them up. If you have garlic in a jar already in your kitchen, you can use the liquid from that.

And frozen daphnia would be a good frozen food, too. It helps keep the digestive system in order.

Hope this helps a little!!!

 

[mderousse]

Hello all,

Thanks for your input! Is there any way of knowing how this could have happened? I was only hesitant to label it a growth because it is symmetrical and has not changed in size at all.

To answer @JackTheCaptain , yes he is still pooping! The only thing that has really changed is his activity, he has moved to a different household in recent months as well... does anyone have any advice on that aspect? The water parameters are still the same and no major changes to the tank. @Feanor @Rose of sharon

Thanks!

 

[Rose of sharon]

So many bettas are now very genetically weak from over breeding. Unless a person gets one from an actual breeder, then the buyer is most likely buying one that has been mass bred from fish that have an inferior genetic make up. It's a very sad, unfortunate truth in this hobby.

Since you have owned him for almost 2 years, you can pretty much rule out things like parasites, and if you have kept his water very clean and heated, then your husbandry is good. And since you have owned him for almost 2 years, realize that he was probably anywhere from 6 months to a year old when you got him. The average betta from a pet store lives around 2.5 to 3 years on average, even with the best care.

The only other thing that I might guess is some kind of kidney failure, but that really seems unlikely based on what he looks like now. If this is the case, then the fluid will continue to build up, and his body will swell, not just the towards the end where you see the protusions right now. And that doesn't take long to happen. So if you aren't seeing more swelling in the next few days, then it is most likely an internal tumor on his swim bladder. Tumors are very common with bettas now, too.

Really good food, super clean water, and a tannin-rich environment are what I would provide for him if he were mine.

Hope this helps!