[esmeraldurr]

HELP my betta has a lump? on its side? the aquatic plants are turning brown too, i'm new to being a betta owner i've only had him for 3 months and I'm heartbroken, he's in a 20 gallon tank with 6 cory catfish roommates his water temp is 79.0 fahrenheit, i might add i recently upgraded them from a 10 gallon tank to a 20 gallon tank and all the signs started appearing after that. The lump looks a bit brownish. I've added stress remover to the water but i really can't buy any medicine right now because its 12 AM. I feed him about 5 pellets a day and i just changed his water a day ago and his water ph is neutral...

 

[FishyOfTheOpera]

My first thought when I read the word "lump" was a tumor, but I'm no expert. Someone else would probably be better at helping. 5 pellets sounds like a bit much... I feed Lotte 2 or 3 a day (hope I'm not under feeding her!) I hope he feels better soon!

 

[esmeraldurr]

upon more examination the "lump" looks a lot like a sinking pellet I feed my Cory, it only makes sense because whenever I drop pellets in the water the betta kinda goes after them. I think he probably swallowed a pellet and is not overly constipated. any suggestions as to what I can do?

 

[grumpyfish]

Fast him for a couple of days, that should take care of the constipation. Getting them to flare can help them too, since it engages the "flight or fight" response, and the GI tract constricts, thereby causing them to move their bowels.

 

[esmeraldurr]

Yes! I have him in a hospital tank right now and I am putting Epsom Salt with Melafix, I heard Epsom salt is a natural laxative and I am thinking about buying a betta mirror that will make him flare at his reflection he's doing okay but he definetely has a hole in his stomach where you can clearly see his food coming out. it's just a matter of healing right now. hopefully he ends up okay..many prayers lol

 

[grumpyfish]

Oh my goodness, I didn't realize he had a hole!

Melafix can actually be harmful to bettas, because it can damage their labyrinth organ, which they use to breathe.

Someone else who is more knowledgeable in this area would be a better person to ask than myself for what you can use instead of melafix, but you could check out methylene blue information online, and see if that's a better option. Don't try it though until you have confirmation about it's usage in this particular instance...

 

[esmeraldurr]

OH really!? do you recommend using betta fix instead!?! I don't know what to use on my poor betta I honestly think he needs some kind of stitching but I have no idea where to find a fish surgeon. I know it might take forever to heal

 

[grumpyfish]

I would stay away from all of the fixes, honestly. They all contain tea tree oil, which damages their labyrinth organ. I don't know what to tell you about the hole, but if you can get your hands on some Indian almond leaves or extract (also known as cappata), they have antibacterial properties to them, as well as other conditioning agents for bettas. Online is usually the only place I can find them, though you may be able to find them at a local fish store. Look up methylene blue, too. It's a medication by Kordon. Their website might have information about using it for open wounds...

 

[esmeraldurr]

Thanks for the advise! I will definitely buy some methycalyne blue?? My betta's "hole" is showing some white fur stringies which most likely means it could be a sign of infection. honestly their is so much betta medicines i got a headache scrolling through everything. but hopefully he makes it, hes my first ever betta and i am quickly learning that fish are a HUUGE responsibility and i honestly thought it would be fairly easy to care for a betta boy was i wrong..lol

 

[grumpyfish]

Yes, they're lots of maintenance and care...unlike other pets, fish need us to provide not only proper nourishment and housing, but also their entire ecosystem. Like you, I found out just how much responsibility they are after getting one. They're worth it all, though ��

The white growth is concerning, and sounds like either a fungal infection (which hopefully it is), or columnaris. Here's a link to a post to read up on
: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=97940

 

[esmeraldurr]

I attached some more pictures I just took of Aqua not too long ago, I tried my best to focus on his wound, you can see it kind of curves like a U. and he has some excess skin hanging from the wound..

 

[grumpyfish]

Awe poor little guy! I've never seen anything like that before...

I hope he gets better soon, he's a beautiful boy!

 

[esmeraldurr]

Before and After!

hey guys I have very exciting news about aqua today!!! After months of care i didn't want to see Aqua suffer I researched many ways to humanely euthanize a fish, a Petsmart employee told me if their is ever a need to euthanize a fish the method they use is putting baking soda in the fish's water it euthanizes quickly and quite painless, the day after I went to check up on Aqua just to cherish the last few days I could have had with him. Upon examining him I realized his "open" wound had completely vanished! Turns out he had new skin growing underneath and he was just holding on to dead skin.. He seems to be a lot better just some fin rot but his wound is clearing up quite nicely! I want to thank anyone who has been keeping up with aqua and keeping him in your prayers. Just finished feeding him and he was VERY hungry! I will attach before & after pics so you guys cans see a difference

 

[grumpyfish]

Aww yay, I'm glad to hear that he's doing better �� I'm not sure how humane the baking soda method is. I use clove oil to put the fish under, and then vodka as euthanasia

 

[BettaObsessed]

I had a fish who got stuck in a terra cotta pot once and his back was pretty damaged, but with good care he pulled through and is now happy and healthy, it's amazing how bettas can heal.

 

[esmeraldurr]

I swear if its not one thing its another with Aqua, although the lump seems to be gone his fin rot is producing this stringy almost spider web material all over his aquarium, does anyone know a solution or medicine i can use for this "spider web" inside the water.?

 

[grumpyfish]

Can you post pictures?

I recently delt with sparolegnia with my betta, Byzantine. It's a cottony looking fungus that I treated with rid ich plus (with malachite green and formalin), aquarium salt, and water changes.