# Picture of my sick Betta- please look



## Jovi (Jan 28, 2009)

Hi, I posted awhile ago that my daughter's betta has dropsy and I have been treating it for that. I took a picture of her betta so everyone can see exactly what he looks like. Since I began the treatment, some of his color has returned, he eats occasionaly and swims more. Does anyone think he might have a tumor? His belly is bloated and yes his scales do have the "pinecone look", but one side is more bloated than the other.

Jenny


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## Livelifelaughlove (Jan 11, 2009)

:-( poor fishy! he really donesn't look good!
I hope he gets better!


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Ouch, I think I remember this post from a while ago. What have you been using to treat it? Also, your betta doesn't show the characteristic "raised scales" that bettas with dropsy do. The scales do look stretched from the bloating, but a betta with true dropsy will have raised scales all over the body and resemble a pinecone.

If I remember correctly in the old pictures the lump appeared to be more hollow, or fluid filled. A tumor would be more solid. You may want to try feeding some anti-bacterial food (I think that's where my research led me when I looked it up before). Jungle labs makes some, but I can't vouch for it because I've never had to deal with an internal bacterial infection before.

Good luck, and best wishes from me. ~Kim


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## Jovi (Jan 28, 2009)

Emmnemms said:


> :-( poor fishy! he really donesn't look good!
> I hope he gets better!


 
Thanks for caring.  My daughter has kept him alive for 3yrs 4mths now, and I'm doing everything that I know of to help him. I don't want to prolong his suffering if he has a tumor and not the dropsy.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

This is a betta with dropsy (not mine though). Is this what your betta looks like from the top?


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## Jovi (Jan 28, 2009)

Kim said:


> Ouch, I think I remember this post from a while ago. What have you been using to treat it? Also, your betta doesn't show the characteristic "raised scales" that bettas with dropsy do. The scales do look stretched from the bloating, but a betta with true dropsy will have raised scales all over the body and resemble a pinecone.
> 
> If I remember correctly in the old pictures the lump appeared to be more hollow, or fluid filled. A tumor would be more solid. You may want to try feeding some anti-bacterial food (I think that's where my research led me when I looked it up before). Jungle labs makes some, but I can't vouch for it because I've never had to deal with an internal bacterial infection before.
> 
> Good luck, and best wishes from me. ~Kim


Thanks for caring. I've been using Fungus Clear Tank Buddies by Jungle. The box says it clears fungus and bacteria. It treats fungus, tail, fin, or mouth rot, hemorrhagic septicemia, clamped fins, dropsy, open red sores, eye cloud, pop eye, and swim bladder.

I'm sorry, but you must have mixed up my pictures with someone else's, because this is the first time I posted pictures of him. 

I just saw the post you made of the betta with dropsy, and my daughter's betta's scales are only raised in the bloated areas. So now I'm thinking he doesn't have dropsy after all. :dunno: When we first noticed the bloating it was on one side only and I thought he was constipated. Then the bloating went across his whole underneath. The side that was bloated first is bigger. So that makes me think it is a tumor and it has spread. If that is the case, I'm wondering if I should stop the treatment, because the package says that the product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer. I don't want to treat the poor fish with something that might make him worse if he has a cancer tumor?

I will look for the Jungle bacteria food and see if that helps him. My daughter has kept this betta alive for 3yrs and 4mths. This is the longest we have managed to keep one alive so I'm also wondering if he might have edema from old age? Everytime I check on him I'm honestly surprised the lil guy has hung in there this long.

Jenny


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

It doesn't look like dropsy to me either. Poor little guy! I hope the medicine helps him.


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## veganchick (Jan 10, 2009)

ooooo he looks REALLY sick! keep his water clean, and pray!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Like Kim said, it may be some kind of bacterial infection.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

That's odd, there was a fish that looked EXACTLY like that even down to the color. My bad.

Anyway, if you said the scales are only raised in the bloated area I wouldn't think it would be dropsy. Like you said, maybe a tumor, but it could also be an internal bacterial infection. Unfortunately, medicating the water won't help with that because those meds only deal with external bacterial problems. If this fish is still eating you may want to try the medicated food. They have it at my Petsmart. There's nothing you can really do about a tumor sadly 

Also, I'm wondering about the gender of this fish. While the tail fin and the bottom one could pass for either a male or female, the top fin is much too small and not shaped correctly for a male. The ventrals (small fins right under the belly) are also much too short for a male, and if you look in the second picture you can see a little white spot on the belly that looks like an ovidepositor (where the eggs are released). This fish may just be a female with oversized fins. If it is a she, then maybe she is eggbound. This is unfortunately also pretty much untreatable, but she may pass them on her own.

One more thing, is this fish still pooping at all? Eating? If so, what color are the feces?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Now that I looked at the pics better, it DOES look kind of like a female.


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## Livelifelaughlove (Jan 11, 2009)

Same as drama, i didn't realize that till just now

:-( poor fishy. kinda makes me sick/sad to look at


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## Jovi (Jan 28, 2009)

Kim said:


> That's odd, there was a fish that looked EXACTLY like that even down to the color. My bad.
> 
> Anyway, if you said the scales are only raised in the bloated area I wouldn't think it would be dropsy. Like you said, maybe a tumor, but it could also be an internal bacterial infection. Unfortunately, medicating the water won't help with that because those meds only deal with external bacterial problems. If this fish is still eating you may want to try the medicated food. They have it at my Petsmart. There's nothing you can really do about a tumor sadly
> 
> ...


 
I don't have a Pet Smart in my town, but I do have a teacher's conference to attend in a town today that fortunately for me does have a Pet Smart so I'll look for the medicated food there. I didn't realize the meds I bought for the water only treated external infections. I just thought the fish absorberd the meds through the water. That is good to know.

I've also wondered if the fish was a female because of the white dot underneath the belly, but the only other female I've had in the past had much smaller tail and bottom fins. I also thought it might be full of eggs and can't expell them. Do the females always have a white dot underneath the belly? Or only when they are about to expell eggs? This fish has had a white dot under the belly for a long time. Sorry, I'm still learning about bettas, so I appreciate everyone's help.

The fish did have white stringy poop, but after the meds it returned to brown. It eats sometimes, probably once every couple of days. I only feed two pellets per day one in the morning and one in the evening. I feed blood worms once a week and when I do that I feed it in the morning and skip the pellet. It isn't interested in blood worms any more and won't eat mysis shrimp I tried after re-hydrating both of them.

My guess is it is either full of eggs and can't expell them, has a tumor, or is constipated. I thought it was an infection of some kind, but now I really don' t know. I'm doing my best to keep the fish warm and in a clean hospital tank.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Females should always have a white dot under their belly, although some can be harder to see than others. I'd guess that your fish is a she with longer than normal fins.

In any event, I'd try the medicated food. If this doesn't work, then you'll probably have to assume that she is eggbound or has a tumor. I'm sorry, but there is no cure for either of these conditions. 

I sincerely hope that the medicated food works. Good luck.


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## hmjm (Feb 26, 2009)

I was wondering how your fish was doing? You had posted about my fish looking to be in the same condition as yours.

Mine is looking worse all the time. He is getting bigger (more bloated). He isn't eating, pooping or doing much swimming. I don't think things are looking very good for Goldie. I just don't know if there is anything else I can do for him. I hope you are having better like than we are.

Best of luck.


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