# Fluid-Filled Infected Cyst



## BlueBettaGirl (Feb 7, 2013)

My Betta named "Blue" has a big infected cyst, filled with puss, that grows on his side. The routine goes like this: The cyst grows so huge with puss that it pops, then it drains about halfway. It never drains completely, so the vicious cycle starts all over again with the growing, popping, and partial draining. I feel so bad for the little guy... It's a hard process to watch. I've been putting SeaChem ParaGuard 1x per day in his tank when his side pops open, hoping that will help the infection, but I'm stumped. Is there a way get all of the infection out? Photos are attached. The white parts of the cyst are his skin, because his scales are all displaced. You can see the clear fluid inside the cyst. It's almost ready to pop again... :-( Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks for reading. 

Housing 
What size is your tank? 5 Gallon
What temperature is your tank? 78-80 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? ZooMed brand Pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2x a day

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? 1x every 1 to 1.5 weeks.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 75%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? SeaChem Prime water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? Yes
If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm
pH: 7.5 - 8.0
Hardness: n/a
Alkalinity: n/a

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? A giant cyst filled with puss is growing on his side. See attached photos.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He seems happy. Eats well, makes bubble nests, very active.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? May 2013
Have you started treating your fish? Yes If so, how? SeaChem ParaGuard 1x per day when the cyst opens up.
How old is your fish (approximately)? 1.5 years


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Since it fills with pus, an antibiotic might help. And since it's internal, I would try using *Kanaplex (kanamycin)*. 

*Kanaplex* is one of the few antibiotics that treats external and internal bacterial infections. Not many petstores carry it, so call before you head out. If you can't get it locally, you can order it online. (Try Drs Foster and Smith.)

I would also send a PM to Sakura8, and ask her opinion.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Someone may want to consider instructing on how to carefully remove fluid with an insulin syringe.


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## BlueBettaGirl (Feb 7, 2013)

Thanks for the advice. I PM'd Sakura8 and am awaiting her reply.

I have some tiny insulin syringes and am willing to try with some guidance.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hi BlueBettaGirl. Oh my, that's quite a cyst. O.O 

This part will get a little tricky though because I think it probably needs to be professionally drained. However, I know that finding a qualified veterinarian to do this can be very, very difficult and also very expensive. I'm personally not comfortable trying to walk you through the process either because if the needle to drain the fluid isn't inserted in the right spot, you can hit an internal organ and cause internal bleeding and death and I don't know enough about fish anatomy to properly guide you. These kinds of procedures are very difficult with small fish like bettas. 

That said, probably the best option is to wait until it pops again and then, after the fluid has drained out, remove him from the water, place him on a damp towel and swab at the open wound with a q-tip. I'd recommend using a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound and clear out as much of the remaining fluid and infection as possible. It may help to use a fish anaesthetic like Finquel to keep him calm and still during this process.

Once the wound is cleaned, place him back in the water and use Seachem Kanaplex as LittleBlue suggested. This is an antibiotic that is very effective for the types of bacteria that cause these kinds of cysts (ie, pseudomonas). Seachem ParaGuard is a great med but I don't think the problem is parasitical.

I hope this helps and if you need any more help, let us know. Good luck!


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## BlueBettaGirl (Feb 7, 2013)

I couldn't find Seachem Kanaplex in my local pet stores, so I've ordered some online. It should be here in a few days. I'll try draining the cyst as you instructed. This is my first Betta... What an interesting ride it's been. Thanks so much for the advice!


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## caltha (Sep 11, 2013)

when did the cyst first appear? just curious.


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## BlueBettaGirl (Feb 7, 2013)

It first appeared in May 2013. A small scrape on his side got infected and it's never completely healed.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

How is your fish?


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## BlueBettaGirl (Feb 7, 2013)

Thanks for asking. I'm still waiting for his cyst to pop. I can't believe how big it is getting this time! 

I do have some (okay, a bazillion) questions: 

1) Is it okay to do the procedure without the Finquel? My local pet stores don't carry it. 

2) When I lay him on the wet towel, do I cover his head, gills, and pectoral fin with another wet towel to help keep him calm, still, and wet? Would I add yet another wet towel on his big tail (caudal fin) to help keep him still?

3) How long can he be out of the water for?

4) So I don't tug at his scales, do I roll the diluted peroxide q-tip along the cyst to gently push out any remaining puss?

4) Do I put the Seachem Kanaplex powder directly into his tank water or do I mix it with food? The instructions are vague on the label.

5) Do I pull the filter out and soak it in some old tank water while I medicate with Kanaplex so I don't lose all of my good bacteria and crash my cycle?

6) How many days do I medicate with the Kanaplex for?

7) When I'm done medicating do I do a water change? What % of water and how often do I change until the tank water returns to normal perimeters?

Thanks for reading!!!!


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Finquel can obtained on ebay although if you search this forum there is someone who tried to remove really rotten fins from her fish to get to healthy tissue. I can't recall who is was just that her betta was orange. You might be able to arrange to get a little from her. Her fish didn't make it but it was not from the procedure. There is risk to doing this. I mentioned it can be done because the problem looks so serious. So I wil tell you I tried this on fish that appeared to have dropsy he didn't make it but no fluid came out. He probably would have died regardless though. I am comforted that he died peacefully he never woke up. He was really suffering which is why I tried it. I would not squeeze him as you might crush an organ. Kanaplex is typically done as a tank treatment and you can also soak food in it with garlic juice to make it palatable. There is someone on the forum that gave me advice on this I will see if they are willing to advise you if you feel this is the best thing at this point.


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## BlueBettaGirl (Feb 7, 2013)

Thank you! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I pm'd the person. If they feel ok offering advice they will contact you.


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