# Lump on Betta's Head- please help!!!



## meg01 (Mar 16, 2010)

Hi, 
I have had my betta for almost 3 years, the last 2 or 3 days he has been growing a large lump on the top of his head. He seems more sluggish and is not regularly eating (like he normally does). He lives with one plant in his tank and eats dried dead blood worms-never live food. I do not know if this is something I can fix (give him medicine for- if so I don't know which type, as I do not want to make him sicker). I tried to look on forums, but nothing looks quite like this (tumor? infected cut? bacteria?) It is a raised red lump (kind of the color of his skin with 3 white marks) Please help, I have had him for so long he is part of the family. I attached photos. Thanks,

Meg


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## kelly528 (Aug 31, 2009)

Yyyyikes that looks bacterial. Please fill this out so we can better determine the cause:

*CONSULT FORM*

How big is the tank?

Is it uncycled or cycled?

How much water do you change?

How often do you change the water?

*WATER STATS*
_Please try to answer these to the best of your ability. If you do not have a test kit, please bring a sample of tankwater to the nearest local pet store. They should test it for cheap, but most of the time free. Write the actual numbers down, don’t take ‘okay’, ‘low’ or ‘fine’ for an answer._

Temperature:

pH:

Ammonia:

Nitrite:

Nitrate:



Also is he eating anything but dried bloodworms? Bloodworms are nutritious but surviving off them is like you eating spinach everyday for the res of your life... spinach, like bloodworms is a nutritious food but eating one type of ANY food, even the best foods will cause malnutrition if they are the only thig your betta's diet consists of.


Is it possible to post the pics a little bigger?


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## meg01 (Mar 16, 2010)

I know the lump happened so fast and is so large, its upsetting! He is in about a liter, liter and a half tank, it is uncycled. We usually change about 70% of the water, but yesterday (we were concerned about bacteria) and changed the gravel, washed the plant and changed all the water.

I will buy a test kit tomorrow to check the water, as the pet store is now closed. Before he goes into new water we always wait until it is room temperature and treat it with conditioner.

For the first 2 years we had him he ate Hikari Betta Bio-Gold food, then he refused to eat it anymore. On the advice of the pet store we got the dried blood worms and he began eating again. Every once and awhile I will try the Hikari pellets, but he will not touch them. Any advice? I will update you with water results tomorrow. Thank you!


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

He looks a little of pineconed to me as well? Which could also be dropsy. 
http://www.nippyfish.net/dropsy.html


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Now that I look at it again, he does look like there is some pineconing.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I always notice that. It gives me the willies!


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## meg01 (Mar 16, 2010)

How can I treat dropsy? Does he have dropsy and another problem (the tumor like bump)? If I give him medicine for dropsy and he does not have it will it hurt him? He is swimming around normally now, although appetite is low. 
I really appreciate your feedback, as he has been really healthy for the last 3+ years, and I have no idea what to do. Thank you.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Read the link I gave you, they give possible treatment. However, dropsy is usually fatal once they're 'pineconing'. It's really organ failure and it can come from a bacterial infection which he seems to have on his head? I'm no expert though so maybe someone else has better advice. I'm just repeating what I've read.

You should be changing his water 100% every day in a tank that small. Even when he's not sick. 

I wish you luck. I know it's hard when they're ill.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Honestly, I don't think he'll make it. I really really hate to be the one to bum everyone out, but dropsy can be TREATED but not CURED. I've had experience with dropsy and it's nasty. Once they start pine coning, they usually pass away pretty soon after that. 

Again, really really sorry....


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

I agree it does look like he's pineconing. And as said, it's usually fatal. The best you can do is keep him comfortable and happy until he passes. So sorry! Good luck.


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## kelly528 (Aug 31, 2009)

Call me crazy but I'm not seeign the pineconing.... looks more like a pseudo-dragon coloration to me?

In any case if he was pineconing it will be very apparent today.

Meg, it looks like a cyst of some sort? I would treat it with both gram positive and gram negative antibiotics. A combination of Maracyn and Maracyn 2 should do it.

Your only problem is that the tank is extremely small... a betta needs a bare minimum of 1g to thrive, but only very experienced people can pull this off and therefore 2g is the most commonly recognised minimum. I recommend 5g. 

Here is a cut/paste from another thread on why small tanks can kill bettas:



> Unfortunately fish stores will sell you just about anything to get your money. And they make considerably more selling cheap tanks to a bunch of people than they do selling proper tanks to the few people who have actually done their homework on tank size.
> 
> Another common myth is that small tanks are lower maintenance. If you put three drops of red food coloring in your 1g bowl, it would probably turn the water bright red. If you put 3 drops of red food coloring in a 5g tank, it would only turn the water a light pink. The same goes for the waste your fish produces. The smaller the tank, the stronger the waste will be. So you have to clean it more often. If you are looking for a truly good beginner size, I strongly recommend you grab a 5g tank.
> 
> Furthermore, there are no heaters on the market that will heat a 1g to the right temperature. Since it is such a small amount of water even the smallest of heaters will often make the water too hot.




The ammonia, nitrite and nitrate given off by fish waste and rotting food is very toxic and will compromised the fish's immune system, stress him or even burn and suffocate fish in extreme cases. Therefore removal of these componds on a regular basis is essential to fish health.


Furthermore most medications (including the maracyn packets) are meant for use in standard-sized tanks of 5, 10, or upwards of 20g tanks. So dividing a portion meant to treat 10g into a portion that will treat 2L is a very difficult and dangerous task, since inconsistent dosage can not only fail to kill the bacteria but make them resistant to the antibiotic. For treatment of your fish I suggest you either buy a 5g tank or treat the fish in anything (even a rubbermaid tub or a bucket) that will hold 5g of water.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

You're not crazy. It's hard to tell from the picture because it's only his head we're seeing close-up.

Meg, if you could get us a good pic of his whole body from above it would help eliminate dropsy.


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## meg01 (Mar 16, 2010)

Thank you for all of the responses, I really appreciate your feedback.

I immediately put him in a larger tank, its the biggest one I could find at the time so its only about 2 gallons. I also put a lamp on him to increase the water temperature. I have already noticed a bit more activity with the warmer water- although not like he used to be. 

I do not notice any obvious pineconing- I have noticed that his gills look swollen (under his chin area) and gray-ish, his breathing is shallow. He is trying to swim around today, but seems to be having trouble, and will rest in the plant or on the bottom of the tank. I may try to bring him into a fish store today, although I am concerned about upsetting him by handling him too much. I will try to take more photos if he makes it through the day. Thank you again for your help.


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## kelly528 (Aug 31, 2009)

Don't bring him to the fish store; it will only stress him and honestly fish stores are an absolutel crap-shoot as far as advice goes. A good deal of the time the employees know as much as you do about fish.

Get ahold of some Maracyn and Maracyn 2 and start medicating him with it. The packets (there are 8 of them in each pack )treat 10g each. So you will have to dilute them in order to measure out doses for 2g of water. Mix a pack with 5 mL water, put what you need for that day in and then keep the rest in the fridge for the next day. You can measure the meds with a baby syringe, a very useful tool to have for measuring meds, fertilisers and water treatments.

So to restate your shopping list:

1 x Box of Maracyn (8 pack, not the 24 pack)
1 x Box of Maracyn 2 (Again, just the 8 pack will do)
2 x Baby Syringes (one for each medication. Make sure they have millilitres, preferably at least 5 mL but 2.5mL will do too. If they are measured in CC (cubic centimetres) thats the same thing as millilitres.

You can find the Maracyn & Maracyn 2 at a local pet store. They are pretty common. The baby syringe you will have to look for either at a drug store, a dollar store or a vet should also have a drawer full on them for giving dogs and cats medicine orally.

Get these items as fast as possible (preferably by this afternoon) and post when you have everything. We will go from there.


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## meg01 (Mar 16, 2010)

Before reading the updated posts I had a moment of panic and took him to an all fish local pet shop. They said that it looked like a bacterial infection (as many of you have stated) they thought he may have cut himself and gotten a bacterial infection that turned into that lump on his head. Thank god it is not dropsy! The shop owner removed the lump (thank god I was not there to see that) and put neosporin on the injured area and gave me the antibiotics to put in the tank. Is this something that is done? He is my first fish and I was surprised this was okay. I bought the PH, nitrate, ammonia test kit and things in the water are normal. I will wait to see what happens. He is still not eating, but is moving more than yesterday. The temperature is now 80 degrees in his tank.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I hope he does really well! Sending good vibes his way.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

We have a member here at TFK that did surgery on a goldfish. NOT recommended unless you know what you're doing!!


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## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

wow i see the pine coning though and it really looks bad but not too bad.. im sorry Meg good luck


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## kelly528 (Aug 31, 2009)

meg01 said:


> Before reading the updated posts I had a moment of panic and took him to an all fish local pet shop. They said that it looked like a bacterial infection (as many of you have stated) they thought he may have cut himself and gotten a bacterial infection that turned into that lump on his head. Thank god it is not dropsy! The shop owner removed the lump (thank god I was not there to see that) and put neosporin on the injured area and gave me the antibiotics to put in the tank. Is this something that is done? He is my first fish and I was surprised this was okay. I bought the PH, nitrate, ammonia test kit and things in the water are normal. I will wait to see what happens. He is still not eating, but is moving more than yesterday. The temperature is now 80 degrees in his tank.


 
Okay then he sounds legit. I was most concerned that you'd get some pimply Petco teenager who let you walk away with a bottle of BettaFix.

Generally physical medical procedures fish is reserved only for the 'pros' but unfortunately with the lack of Vets who treat fish people are often forced to do medical procedures like expressing cycts or even performing surgery themselves. In a life-or-death situation sometimes there is no choice but to take your chances with 'playing doctor'/


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## Jessiefish (Oct 2, 2009)

You can put Neosporin on a Betta?!

I'm sorry about your little guy, meg -- I hope he recovers.


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## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

im sorry that i doubted you but other than that im happy for you and wish you lots of good luck and i hope he is okay


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

> We have a member here at TFK that did surgery on a goldfish.


is that even possible???


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Yes, it is.


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## meg01 (Mar 16, 2010)

*Still alive!*

Hi, just wanted to update you. Thankfully my beta is still alive and is eating again. He is not the same as before (he now has difficulty swimming to the water surface- so I lowered the amount and do daily water changes. To eat I have to bring him to the surface by hand to feed him) but he has a great appetite and is eating daily again. Anyone have any similar situations? Thanks again for all the feedback!


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## Tyrah (Mar 26, 2015)

*My Betta had something similar*

Hey everyone,
Recently, my betta had the same symptoms. 
What was different was that on Thursday he was perfectly fine, and on Friday (the very next day) he had a lump on his head and was sluggish. It happened SO FAST I didn't know what it was!
There was a misunderstanding with some sellers and they sent me 4 nerite snails instead of two. I had 5 Nerites in there, and since they have a huge bio load, my tank started cycling again. I added Seachem Clarity that Wednesday to help the water cloudiness. It helped, but added a little bit more that Thursday. I don't know if I was supposed to do it one day after the other. There are no instructions on the bottle....This is not to say that it's Clarity's fault. 
I came to the conclusion that it can't be a tumor because it appeared WAY too fast. I figured it was probably a bacterial infection. During cycling, bacteria are blooming, etc.
My Betta is in a 10 gallon tank, with 3 Nerites, 2 Assassins, and 6 Amano's. I feed him Aqueon Betta food once a day in the morning.
Anyway, enough rambling. Here's what I did. 
Friday i did 30% water change and added API freshwater aquarium salt. 
I also raised my water heater to 85˚. Since then, i did a 25% water change every day. I didn't add aquarium salt each time. Just on Friday and Today.
Here are pictures from Friday when the lump first appeared, and from today (Tuesday). I feel like the pictures don't do it justice. The bump was big and his 'lips' were protruded out like a duck! (haha). He is doing a lot better now! He is more energetic and has his appetite back!
the scales where he had the bump are still roughed up a bit, so I will continue to 
do water changes every day, until he is back to normal! 
I hope this helped! I tried to put the pics up in order. The first ones should be from Friday, the last two from Tuesday.


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