# Raised scales, losing color on caudal peduncle



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Housing 
*What size is your tank?* 10 gal 
*What temperature is your tank?* 79F
*Does your tank have a filter?* bubble filter
*Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?* bubble filter
*Is your tank heated? *yes
*What tank mates does your betta fish live with?* ramshorn snails, MTS, divided to share with another male (who is blue) approx the same age who has not shown any symptoms. 

Food
*What type of food do you feed your betta fish?* NLS, Hikari, Omega One bloodworms
*How often do you feed your betta fish?* twice daily 4-5 pellets NLS; Hikari and bloodworms are treats

Maintenance 
*How often do you perform a water change?* one weekly as the tank is cycled
*What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?* 30%-40%
*What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?* Prime

Water Parameters:
*Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?* Tested Tuesday with API master kit

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
pH: 7.5
Hardness: --
Alkalinity: --

Symptoms and Treatment
*How has your betta fish's appearance changed?* Single spot on caudal peduncle that has raised scales and has lost all color
*How has your betta fish's behavior changed?* None yet
*When did you start noticing the symptoms?* This morning
*Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?* No treatment but taken from 10 gal and quarantined in heated and covered 1 gal bowl
*Does your fish have any history of being ill?* He had tailbiting incidents which lead to some finrot, but nothing within the last month. 
*How old is your fish (approximately)?* Just under a year. 

I'm not usually in this section of the forum, but I think I've got a problem. I don't think it is related to that mysterious illness that Sakura made a thread about because the fish is a Cambodian not blue, but it seems eerily similar. In the amount of time since I noticed it this morning I have seen it grow a little. Right now all I have access to is AQ salt and Maracyn 2. Interestingly enough I've also been fighting a stubborn case of fin rot with my goldfish. I will see if I can get some pictures of his caudal peduncle when my camera charges.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

As promised here are the pictures, but they don't show much. The silver spot at the base of his tail caused by the raising of his scales is all that can be seen in photos. It has a very similar color to bread mold. After closer examination under better lighting it appears as if something is erupting from under his scales. He still has a healthy appetite and flares at anything that walks by.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

If it starts to look bubbly, I'm more inclined to say possibly lymphocytisis.

Clean water and keep a close eye for infection should it burst (If it is lymphocytisis).


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

How contagious is lymphocytosis? 

I got out my magnifying glass and flashlight to get a better look at it. It's very hard to get a good look at the region as it is on the fish's left side, and he is a right-handed fish therefor he turns to the right a lot. Now it appears that a scale is blackening, and the scales that lay on top of it are popping out and losing color. The color lose appears to be in a circle around the blackened scale.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

It's best to isolate while it is present since it can infect other fish and reinfect if or once it bursts.

A thorough gravel vac and tank cleaning after it bursts should be enough to prevent infection along with keeping the water cleaner while there is an open wound.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

I've quarantined the infected fish. So is there anything else I can do other than clean water? Also do you know of any photos of fish lymphcytosis? I would like to compare it to what I can see as the pictures really don't show much. I'm also having a lot of trouble finding information on it anywhere. 

The appearance of the discolored area hasn't changed. I don't see any bubbling. Just one blackened scale and raised, discolored scales around it. I haven't noticed any behavioural changes either.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/259/3/0/sick_betta_4_by_khanisha_chibi-d2ytplu.jpg

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/DiseasePIX/betta tumour wwm.jpg

These were some of the best I could find.

I recommend starting a conservative aquarium salt treatment should it burst, but otherwise just clean water. It's just something that has to run its course.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Holy smokes! Those things are huge! My guy literally has one blackened scale. Is it going to get worse before it gets better?


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

It may or may not get worse. sometimes they get big sometimes they don't.

I'm thinking the first link might not actually be lymphocytisis upon closer inspection, but more along the lines of a tumor.

it doesn't look like your betta has a tumor though. I've seen those develop and the whole area around where it starts becomes a darker shade before starting to raise.

This is the end result of a grown tumor (This one had burst a few times ina few places, but continued to grow throughout this betta's life):








even if it turns out to my a tumor, it's placement shouldn't cause too many issues for a little while depending on the growth rate.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hi Izzy! Got your message. Pata's right, that definitely looks like the beginnings of lympho. The great news is it's on the tail. Lympho usually doesn't cause any major problems unless it's on the head where the growths can sometimes inhibit the fish's ability to eat. 

As Pata said, it's a disease that has to run its course because it's a virus. It has a really good survivability rate though. Generally, it takes about 2-3 months for it to heal up in good aquarium conditions. I know you'll keep the water clean in case any of the growths burst so aside from that and a good diet, there's not much else to do. Stress Coat will help and if you want to put him in 1 tsp of AQ salt for a few days, you could do that too.

Hope it heals up quickly. Keep us updated. 

EDIT: I know you said there were some blackened scales. Has that changed at all? Lympho growths look like cauliflower, hence one of its common names, "cauliflower disease." While the growth does look like cauliflowery in the first pic, if that has changed at all, then I could be wrong on the lympho part.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

The area has changed very little even when I look at it now. It may be a bit larger but nothing more than a .5 mm. I'm not sure if I see any cauliflowering. He's a very active fish, and it's a very tiny spot. Getting him to stand still so I can shine the flashlight directly on it and get the magnifying glass at the perfect angle is basically impossible. As a precaution I have started him on a salt treatment. 

Oddly enough when I shine a flashlight on his right side caudal peduncle (thing is on the left) I can see a pinky circle where the discoloration is.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Right now, regardless of whether it's an external parasite, lymphocystis or anything else, a salt treatment is probably the best thing you can for him. Since his behavior is still normal, the salt should really help curtail any further problems.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Today was my 7th day of salt, and it appeared to do nothing. I removed the salt today and tried to get some better pictures. Using copperarabian's idea of putting the fish in direct sunlight and macro settings on the camera, I was able to get much better shots of this thing. I'm still not seeing any cauliflower-like growth. He is still as feisty as ever.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

It looks like it could still possibly be lympho or maybe argulus (fish lice). The odd thing about it being argulus is that one, there's only one parasite and two, the salt didn't work. I'm leaning toward lymphocystis mainly because he's still acting normal. It's possible the spot doesn't look cauliflowery because it's quite small. 

If you want to be on the extra safe side and try a medication, I'd suggest either General Cure, Hikari HealthAid PraziPro, or Seachem ParaGuard. Those are all effective for external parasites which, next to lympho, is the most likely cause of a growth/spot like that. But there's also the possibility it's a tumor too. I'd say if the spot doesn't change at all (either growing bigger or growing smaller) after a few months, it's a tumor. 

I am pretty sure it's not an ulcer or sore associated with columnaris or fish TB, though. If it was, his behavior would be different and the spots would be growing and spreading.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Well it looks like the poor boy is going to be spending the next few months in a kritter keeper. I don't want to risk putting him back in the divided tank. 

Speaking of the divided tank, would it be safe to put another betta in it? I've got a little white plakat male that I picked up (betta bug buy) who has been living in a breeder net in my 29 gal. Can I put him in the divided tank that used to house my afflicted betta? The other betta hasn't shown any signs of infection.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

I'd do a quarantine period with your new boy before adding him to the divided tank. Just to be sure he doesn't spread anything, but I don't think he'll catch anything after being added to the divided tank.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Oh don't worry; I did quarantine him. I've had him now for about 3 weeks, 2 of which were in quarantine. Glad to know he can safely go in the divided tank. He's not happy in the breeder net. No snails for him to attack. He's a little monster.


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