My Betta fish has what seems like a swollen spot on him. The spot is right on his belly like up close to his head. It looks like a pregnant belly but its not exactly on his belly. Does anyone know what this could be??
2007-03-20 13:08:57 · 5 answers · asked by Bored&Broken 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
Looks like Nunya has the diagnosis pretty well covered. (nice web site - I may have to "steal" it!)
The main thing to look at here is the position of the "lump".
If it's off to one side, this is most likely a tumor, and there really isn't much that can be done.
If it's evenly placed on the body, it's most likely a disease. Dropsy would be a good possibility, but you don't mention the scales sticking out from the body - the scales sticking out like a pine cone is a sure diagnosis that it IS dropsy, but they may not stick out much if this hasn't progressed very much. many sources (like the one I'll link below) say it can't be treated, but I've had some success with broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as tetracycline.
Another possibility is "bloat" - this is usually seen in cichlids, but is possible for other fish to have it. There's some disagreement on the exact cause, but is usally thought to be a bacteria, plus poor diet. This is treatable (and may be misdiagnosed as the early stages of dropsy). Again, any treatment would be a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
Since both these conditions have basically the same treatment, there's no worry about which one it is or using the wrong medication. But, since you'll be using an antibiotic, be aware that you'll need to remove any charcoal/carbon during treatment and will need to recycle your tank, because your beneficial bacteria will be affected as well.
dropsy: http://www.fishdeals.com/fish_diseases/dropsy/
bloat: http://tropicalresources.net/phpBB2/d_profiles_malawi_bloat.php
Additional info on treatment for bloat: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/malawi_bloat.php
2007-03-20 14:01:57 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most likely a tumor the majority which are impossible to treat. Some though don't requirementment and the fish can live quite a long time with the problem and be just fine. There is an outside long shot chance it's a parasitic worm, but if this is the case you will see other such spots on the fish soon and it's also practically impossible to treat once it's large enough to cause a sizeable lump.
MM
2007-03-20 20:28:53 · answer #2 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does the lump look like any on this site? http://www.fishjunkies.com/Disorders/lumps.php
2007-03-20 20:13:24 · answer #3 · answered by Nunya Biznis 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It might be a tumor.
2007-03-20 20:23:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
go to a vet
2007-03-20 20:35:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋