I think my betta has a tumor!!

I noticed a few days ago that Holly's tummy was bloated more on the right than the other. 2 of 3 of her sisters died because of tumors...I am so worried I am gonna lose her too. :'( I stopped feeing her for a few days and it got smaller but still the same shape. It looks like Jewel's belly before she died!!
Here's some pix, what do you guys think?

 

That looks too even, too symmetrical to be a tumor. I'm not a doctor, and definitely not a ichtyophysician (fish doctor ), though, so my knowledge of these things is limited. However, I do know that most tumors have odd shapes to them.
If I had to guess, I would say that there's some sort of block that is causing constipation.

 

darksol is probably right tumors are never that symmetrical I also agree that it might be constipation wrong food or too much maybe. Then again can't be sure until you see a professional

 

try feeding a frozen pea (thaw it and cut it small)

 

OH, that poor girl!

You stopped feeding the freeze dried food, right?

 

try feeding a frozen pea (thaw it and cut it small)

I will.
Her right side is bulging much more than left...you can't tell in pictures but in person yes. I really hope it's just a bit of a bloat.

OH, that poor girl!

You stopped feeding the freeze dried food, right?

Yup. Just pellets and frozen blood worm like you suggested before. Sh blew up like 2-3 days ago...so I didn't feed her until today 4 pellets. The pix were taken not long after wards.

 

Oh! Frozen is better? Darn. I just ordered in a whole canister of HikarI FD ones.

 

Try feeding her ONLY tiny pieces of thawed frozen peas like you would for treating constipation for a period of a few days. I know that she is a carnivore and eats meat but if this is a blockage of any sort any protein foods are just going to make it worse at this stage and the peas will help to work it out. She will not starve and it may help. If it is a tumor, it will not help but it will not hurt either. If it is swimbladder problems, it could help by relieving whatever the block is and the pressure on the swimbladder. Only give about the size of her eye cut in 4 small pieces at a time. No more than two times a day. She will not go hungry or starve and it could perhaps make her more comfortable.

Rose

 

I can't see that a tumour would appear in such a short space of time to that extent! I too would just go along the pea route, any planaria around can provide protein if wanted.

 

I knew that peas where a possible food choice but I didn't know it was a remedy for bloating, learn something new every day, sometimes something that may save a fish's life one day so thank you guys for helping me through helping another.

 

Try feeding her ONLY tiny pieces of thawed frozen peas like you would for treating constipation for a period of a few days. I know that she is a carnivore and eats meat but if this is a blockage of any sort any protein foods are just going to make it worse at this stage and the peas will help to work it out. She will not starve and it may help. If it is a tumor, it will not help but it will not hurt either. If it is swimbladder problems, it could help by relieving whatever the block is and the pressure on the swimbladder. Only give about the size of her eye cut in 4 small pieces at a time. No more than two times a day. She will not go hungry or starve and it could perhaps make her more comfortable.

Rose

Thanks I will definitely try that.

 

I find if you take a fork and mash your peas like you were making baby food, that's the only way I can get them small enough. And I just figured this out today so I thought I would share.

 

She had a big pooh this morning....she looks less bloated. Still gonna fed her peas for the next 2 days. I hope her right side's swelling goes away.

I find if you take a fork and mash your peas like you were making baby food, that's the only way I can get them small enough. And I just figured this out today so I thought I would share.

 

Happy Pooh Day....It sounds great, she's being taken good care of thanks to her momma.

 

Good news!

If she's prone to bloating, you should also soak the pellets before feeding if you aren't already doing it.

I feed my girls two soaked pellets in the a.m. and 3 - 4 frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp at night. One day a week they get a pea. So far no problems with anyone bloating.(knock on wood!)

My Holly wishes your Holly a speedy recovery!

 

Good news!

If she's prone to bloating, you should also soak the pellets before feeding if you aren't already doing it.

I feed my girls two soaked pellets in the a.m. and 3 - 4 frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp at night. One day a week they get a pea. So far no problems with anyone bloating.(knock on wood!)

My Holly wishes your Holly a speedy recovery!

I will soak the pellets first, just to see if that helps. So it won't happen again.

 

So for this situation poop is actually a good thing and I'm glad your fish is getting better. I'll know what to do if the same happens to mine.

 

Allie,

I do not think in this situation 2 days is long enough. She is going to need about 5 days minimum of the pea fast to make sure she is totally cleaned out of any impactions she has in there with as distended as she is. If she is still all bloated then there may be some other problem but 2 days is just enough to start the treatment and she needs longer to really get the whole of her system cleaned out. I am so glad that the Poo got started today. That shows there is some hope for her. If she was not pooing at all there would be no hope at all. Congratulations on her large contribution toward her health.

Rose

 

Allie,

I do not think in this situation 2 days is long enough. She is going to need about 5 days minimum of the pea fast to make sure she is totally cleaned out of any impactions she has in there with as distended as she is. If she is still all bloated then there may be some other problem but 2 days is just enough to start the treatment and she needs longer to really get the whole of her system cleaned out. I am so glad that the Poo got started today. That shows there is some hope for her. If she was not pooing at all there would be no hope at all. Congratulations on her large contribution toward her health.

Rose

so 4 more days then. Whatever it takes...I am tired of losing betta. :'(

 

I'm glad she's pooping now and I'd agree with Rose.. more peas. Hopefully, she'll be all trim and back to normal very soon.

 

Keep us posted on her progress until all the bloating is gone and watch for any stange or lazy behavior, as well as any marks or spots on her.

 

Happy Pooh Day

How is she doing today? Any change?

 

How is she doing today? Any change?

She seems smaller, but still bloated.
I think she is very mad at me. Every time I go to check in on her, she swims up & down in my face. I think she's mouthing curse words at me.
I'd be upset too if I only was allowed to eat peas for a few days. :;bb

 

lol.. It's funny how much they can pout or show us they're not pleased with things.

 

lol.. It's funny how much they can pout or show us they're not pleased with things.

It amazes me how much they behave like my cats. The jealousness is really funny tho. Jasper flares out at me if I stare at the other 2's tanks too long. He'll make his fins look really pretty & flutter back & forth until I completely focus on just him. Mr. Peach hasn't showed a green side yet. He's too busy flaring out at himself and my cats. Last night he was at the end of tank flaring and flaring...I look down to see my female cat Georgie stretched out on the floor. Mr. Peach was SO excited to see her so close.

 

They have many personality traits that remind me of dogs and/or cats. I think if the general public realized this, the stores wouldn't get away with the inhumane treatment of bettas.

 

They have many personality traits that remind me of dogs and/or cats. I think if the general public realized this, the stores wouldn't get away with the inhumane treatment of bettas.

Someone needs to do a world wide poll of betta owners, get their opinions & observations...send it to the right people. All they need is one more reason to put all pets on the same level has cats & dogs. If people like us keep showing them what we've learned & seen...eventually there will be some sort of law for all fishies.

 

My lovebirds have the "let me show you how mad I am" thing down really well, but my bettas have stronger personalities and communicate better than my dogs!

 

Someone needs to do a world wide poll of betta owners, get their opinions & observations...send it to the right people. All they need is one more reason to put all pets on the same level has cats & dogs. If people like us keep showing them what we've learned & seen...eventually there will be some sort of law for all fishies.

Too right!! When I first bought a rabbit and kept him in the house after gaining knowledge from US sites people thought I was mad. 5 years on and there have now been laws passed in the UK to protect rabbits from being a single rabbit stuck in a small hutch in the garden that gets forgotten. It has taken time BUT rabbits are now being recognised. IF the worlds BETTA COMMUNITY keep up sites like this I think it ( betta protection) will come in time. There is a campaign here in the UK to give chickens a more humane life before they become our food. So long as LOTS of us fight the corner for good welfare for all animals something is being done. We just have to try.

We have an branch of a large pet store open near us recently, 2 male assistants heard Mum and I talking about bettas and asked us to share our hands on knowledge and experience.!!!!

Allie i'm so glad she seems to be healing. Sorry she is sulking, us females are good at that. She will soon forget when she gets her next meaty meal from you!!

 

Can the fish swim ok. If not I have had the same problem with one of my female bettas before. I had feed her a little to much, and it became bloated. Your betta looks as if it has developed eggs as well because of the white gravid tube on the anal lining. So this could be from the developed eggs and overfeeding. So just thaw a single frosen pea and give her a piece of it. Eventually by the next day it should be better.

P.S get better soon

 

She is swimming and acting fine/normal. I think she is also full of eggs too which is another reason why she got bloated. I was worried at first about a tumor b/c her right side was sticking out much more than the other. And 2 of her sisters, from the same batch both had big odd lumps sticking out of them, one under her moth and the other in her belly.
It has been 5 days since her belly puffed out, 2 without eating, and 2 with just peas (yuck). Big poop today. I'd like to see one more...she is still poofy.

Tazmiche:
Maybe someone should create an International Betta protection society the IBPS.

 

Maybe someone should create an International Betta protection society the IBPS.

Yes!!! Dave?? Mike?? Rose??

I know I would give it a shot. My best!! I love this idea! I'm on my laptop watching my bedside boy Kiz looking like an insane fish swimming in his filter flow!! These guys need a voice, lets us start it!!

It would take soooo much time etc BUT just look at what Mike ( ty) has done here with Fishlore. For me it is Fishlore that has seen me through from my first tropical set up.

I worried about Honey being egg bound after having her next to Spot(m) She didn't get a fat tum but died with dropsy. I feel your girl is on the mend!! Truly hope so.

 

Post some more pics.

 

It would be nice and yes it would take a mountain of time and while it would be a lovely thing to have, more time than I personally could give to it no matter how much I do love bettas, and you know that I do. Fishlore is a great start and all I personally have the time for at present. Some days this is stretching it right now with my Mom needing me and I have to wait until all is okay with her before I can even check in here. Most of the mods other than me are working full time jobs and getting and maintaining a website is a big job. I do not know how much money it takes but I do know that a lot of sites that I have visited are always begging for donors so I do not imagine it is a cheap thing. Sorry to be a wet blanket and all but I am trying to be realisitic. I am afraid Fishlore is all I can commit to at present.

Also one word of caution about Holly. She is pooing well and great and we will take these are great signs. There is one thing though that you need to be aware of. Any betta who has ever had this problem is very prone to have it again. For some reason they tend to have a make up that is just a repeater type. She will become constipated very easily so peas are going to have to be a very frequent part of her diet. I would include them as a snack for her daily if you can get her to take them. Like give her a protein meal in the morning and at night give her a chunk of pea as a part of the meal before giving her a smaller dose of protein..like half a meal of pea and half of bloodworms or something like that and completely do away with any pellets at all. She will not be able to consume pellets and remain free of constipation. If she will not consume the peas this way then give her a pea day like 2 times a week when she gets nothing but peas again, but she is going to have to eat peas or she will not make it as she has proven that she has the constitution of a betta who cannot digest their food well.

Rose

 

.
Also one word of caution about Holly. She is pooing well and great and we will take these are great signs. There is one thing though that you need to be aware of. Any betta who has ever had this problem is very prone to have it again. For some reason they tend to have a make up that is just a repeater type. She will become constipated very easily so peas are going to have to be a very frequent part of her diet. I would include them as a snack for her daily if you can get her to take them. Like give her a protein meal in the morning and at night give her a chunk of pea as a part of the meal before giving her a smaller dose of protein..like half a meal of pea and half of bloodworms or something like that and completely do away with any pellets at all. She will not be able to consume pellets and remain free of constipation. If she will not consume the peas this way then give her a pea day like 2 times a week when she gets nothing but peas again, but she is going to have to eat peas or she will not make it as she has proven that she has the constitution of a betta who cannot digest their food well.

Rose

Well I'll do my best to keep her healthy for as long as possible...she did come form a "bad" batch so to speak. I hope she'll last awhile longer...it's not easy to find female betta around here. She has won me over like my Jewel RIP did.

Maybe someone should create an International Betta protection society the IBPS.

Yes!!! Dave?? Mike?? Rose??

I know I would give it a shot. My best!! I love this idea! I'm on my laptop watching my bedside boy Kiz looking like an insane fish swimming in his filter flow!! These guys need a voice, lets us start it!!

It would take soooo much time etc BUT just look at what Mike ( ty) has done here with Fishlore. For me it is Fishlore that has seen me through from my first tropical set up.

I worried about Honey being egg bound after having her next to Spot(m) She didn't get a fat tum but died with dropsy. I feel your girl is on the mend!! Truly hope so.

After we move at the end of the month....I'll have all the time in the world to help out. I have limited experience with betta sp...but I have had plenty of learning experiences to share.

 

If she really, really doesn't like the peas, will other vegetables have the same effect on her constipation? Like zucchinI or cucumber? I've seen both these mentioned here. She might like those better.

 

I think cooked spinach is the only other veggie to have a constipation-relieving effect on them.

A Betta organization sounds great.

 

I was told by another fish enthusiest that chopped (skinless) grapes work REALLY well. I was going to do that when my daughter decided to divide a brand new thing of fish food between my three little pigs, but my husband had already ate all the grapes

 

She much smaller today...but still full of eggs. How long should they be full of eggs...or are they always full?

 

You think she might have eggs too?