Rescued A Betta.. Will He Make It?

Made my (almost daily) trip to my LFS today and talked to the employee there who I like. Guy always gives me discounts and helps me out.

Told him I was cycling a 6.8 gal. The nitrites are zero, a little ammonia, and biggish nitrates. I had ZERO intentions of getting any fish for that tank.

I was actually looking for plants for my established 10 gallon. Somehow the subject of Bettas came up, and he told me that he doesn't have any pretty ones out front but he had one that may or may not die...

Then he showed me the little guy.

He is eating, pooping, making bubbles, like nothing is wrong. However as the pictures show he has a little white ball on one side, and a BIG white ball on the other


The guy thinks it's a tumor and I kind of agree. I figured, if it is a tumor I'd rather give this beautiful betta a home rather than let it die in a cup on a shelf.

He did half off for me, and I got him for 10 dollars. I bought Seachem Prime to hopefully purify whatever ammonia is left after I do a water change.

Do you guys think he has a chance? I want to really give him a shot at life.

 

He looks fine, I'm not sure if its a tumor or injury. Either way its worth giving him a chance Time will tell exactly what you're dealing with. My first guess was injury but its hard to see in the photo

 

He looks fine, I'm not sure if its a tumor or injury. Either way its worth giving him a chance Time will tell exactly what you're dealing with. My first guess was injury but its hard to see in the photo

I kinda hate the fact I googled Betta tumors...because it looks exactly like a tumor...

Somebody online stated that if you can put your hand in, and poke it, and it is soft...it's not a tumor.

If it's hard and growing, it is a tumor.

I don't really want to touch my betta...but I feel like I should at least know...

 

Okay so I...stupidly...reached my hand in to try and touch it with a q-tip.

The "growth" actually peeled off a bit...which leads me to believe it could be scales? The growth isn't hard either.

It has like two sunk in spots on it...

 

Hes a pretty little guy. I love dragon scales. They look really close to wild bettas. I saw a dragon scale king betta the other day and almost came home with him but didn't have the extra $40. Can you get a better picture of the spots?

Okay so I...stupidly...reached my hand in to try and touch it with a q-tip.

The "growth" actually peeled off a bit...which leads me to believe it could be scales? The growth isn't hard either.

It has like two sunk in spots on it...

 

I can't tell what it is, but I feel confident that if he's going to make it, he has a better chance in your tank than he would have ever had at the store. Keep us posted!

 

I wish I could help you with some kind of information or knowledge, I can't but I really hope for the best for you trying to save that beautiful fish. Thank you for being such a nice person and taking the chance to help the little guy out! Good luck!

 

Hes a pretty little guy. I love dragon scales. They look really close to wild bettas. I saw a dragon scale king betta the other day and almost came home with him but didn't have the extra $40. Can you get a better picture of the spots?

Yeah once I put him in the 6.8 I plan on getting better quality pictures of it. It's just one large growth on his side, and a very small bubble growth on his other side. No weird behaviors...

I can't tell what it is, but I feel confident that if he's going to make it, he has a better chance in your tank than he would have ever had at the store. Keep us posted!

That is exactly how I felt. I figured, why buy the kind of Betta anybody else would get when I have a chance of saving a beautiful Platinum Dragon I will update this thread. Hopefully this thread is a positive story and not a sad one

 

Hes a pretty little guy. I love dragon scales. They look really close to wild bettas. I saw a dragon scale king betta the other day and almost came home with him but didn't have the extra $40. Can you get a better picture of the spots?

Yeah I was able to get a few more...still really hard to tell. He's still in the cup cause I'm making sure the tank is all good. I just got home from the store and got him a heater.

Once the tank is good I'm gonna acclimate him in. Don't really want to make it any worse than it already is...

I got a few pictures..not much better quality unfortunately..

(warning for massive picture size, figured bigger it is, easier to tell)

 

Just an update. He was drip acclimated, and placed in the tank.

He is swimming around happily. Making bubble nest, and looking at his reflection. No signs of distress.

I been looking at the white bulge some more, it does appear to be "chipping".

 

To me it just looks like some loose scales, if it is a tumor though the best you can do is monitor him and consider euthanizing if it gets big and hinders movement. I'm sure he will make it assuming he lives a healthy life <3

It may make you feel better but it may also make you feel worse but pretty much all bettas (except wild caught and some from certain breeders) are super inbred. The dragonscale gene will eventually cause the thick scales to grow over the eyes and blind the fish, the marble gene causes the pigment cells to constantly mutate and makes them prone to growing tumors, blue bettas are prone to graphite disease, half moons and rosetails and basically all with big tails often have (or will have) difficulty moving with the weight of their fins, red bettas as a whole are extremely prone to tumors just because of how much inbreeding they had to do to go from wild to neon red. Most bettas will have or develop things like tumors or scoliosis and there isn't really a whole lot we can do to cure them. Basically what I'm saying is if it does turn out to be a tumor or something else pops up don't be hard on yourself if you can't fix it.

 

He's lucky in one thing, that you saw him and gave him a decent place to live, whether for one day or 2 years.

 

TE]

To me it just looks like some loose scales, if it is a tumor though the best you can do is monitor him and consider euthanizing if it gets big and hinders movement. I'm sure he will make it assuming he lives a healthy life <3

It may make you feel better but it may also make you feel worse but pretty much all bettas (except wild caught and some from certain breeders) are super inbred. The dragonscale gene will eventually cause the thick scales to grow over the eyes and blind the fish, the marble gene causes the pigment cells to constantly mutate and makes them prone to growing tumors, blue bettas are prone to graphite disease, half moons and rosetails and basically all with big tails often have (or will have) difficulty moving with the weight of their fins, red bettas as a whole are extremely prone to tumors just because of how much inbreeding they had to do to go from wild to neon red. Most bettas will have or develop things like tumors or scoliosis and there isn't really a whole lot we can do to cure them. Basically what I'm saying is if it does turn out to be a tumor or something else pops up don't be hard on yourself if you can't fix it.

I hope it is some loose scales. He is a primarily white fish, so it could just be damaged scales...

However I did buy him, fully under the impression I'd be buying a fish with an illness or injury, and I adopted him so I could give him a better life.

I've never seen a betta of his coloration before, and I was mesmerized by it. So I figured...I walk out of here and let this fish swim in a cup of it's own pee and poo until it dies...or I can give him his own tank and either I prolong his life until he eventually dies from a tumor, or it turns out not to be a tumor at all and he lives the rest of his life happily with me.

I already gave him a name... "Silver". Just seems fitting considering his colors.

 

He's lucky in one thing, that you saw him and gave him a decent place to live, whether for one day or 2 years.

Thank you! That makes me feel a lot better about all of this.

I accepted I was possibly buying a sick betta, but I just had to buy this little guy.

Besides, my LFS practically gave him to me. $10 for a platinum dragon betta is crazy cheap. I will do all I can (short of surgery..because no vets in my town will operate on a fish), to keep him happily alive as long as possible.

 

TE]



I hope it is some loose scales. He is a primarily white fish, so it could just be damaged scales...

However I did buy him, fully under the impression I'd be buying a fish with an illness or injury, and I adopted him so I could give him a better life.

I've never seen a betta of his coloration before, and I was mesmerized by it. So I figured...I walk out of here and let this fish swim in a cup of it's own pee and poo until it dies...or I can give him his own tank and either I prolong his life until he eventually dies from a tumor, or it turns out not to be a tumor at all and he lives the rest of his life happily with me.

I already gave him a name... "Silver". Just seems fitting considering his colors.

He is incredibly beautiful- I've only ever seen similar ones online. I had a similar experience with my own betta Lazarus. He didn't have any possible tumors but I had overheard an employee being told to "just throw out that dark one on the bottom, hes been here too long" or something to that affect. When I took him home he had some ammonia burns, was extremely bloated, had a curved spine, and wouldn't react to really anything. Almost a year later his fins still haven't recovered but other than the curly fins and the occasional illness he is doing great. I'm actually in the process of setting up a 20 gallon long for him in celebration of his adoption anniversary.

If my boy made it I'm almost certain Silver will too

 

He is incredibly beautiful- I've only ever seen similar ones online. I had a similar experience with my own betta Lazarus. He didn't have any possible tumors but I had overheard an employee being told to "just throw out that dark one on the bottom, hes been here too long" or something to that affect. When I took him home he had some ammonia burns, was extremely bloated, had a curved spine, and wouldn't react to really anything. Almost a year later his fins still haven't recovered but other than the curly fins and the occasional illness he is doing great. I'm actually in the process of setting up a 20 gallon long for him in celebration of his adoption anniversary.

If my boy made it I'm almost certain Silver will too

I really do hope he does. He's a beautiful fish, and I'm wishing him the best.

He has spent most of today glass surfing and roaming the environment. Getting decorations and plants for him tomorrow, it's a little too drab in that tank. As I said, kinda didn't plan on buying a fish for that tank yet...

But we will see! Hopefully the white ball falls right off and he makes it <3

 

Update. He been glass surfing for a few hours now...but I have learned that is fairly normal for species like Bettas.

I'm kind of nocturnal at this point, and I woke up at midnight, so I'll be monitoring him into the early morning and see how he does.

 

We keep different hours... but ever since I got my betta Gus (Augustus) 3 weeks ago, when I wake up in the morning I hurry in to the kitchen area where his tank is to see if he's still swimming around. When I see that he is, I rejoice.

I'm thinking and hoping that you'll have similar fun every day.

 

We keep different hours... but ever since I got my betta Gus (Augustus) 3 weeks ago, when I wake up in the morning I hurry in to the kitchen area where his tank is to see if he's still swimming around. When I see that he is, I rejoice.

I'm thinking and hoping that you'll have similar fun every day.

So far he been acting like a normal betta. No signs of distress aside from glass surfing. Which is mostly because his tank has zero decorations or plants right now...got to get to a pet store and decorate it a bit.

 

Bettas will glass surf for a while in any new tank. It's like they are discovering the boundaries of their new environment and are really excited to be out of the little cup. They settle in and don't do it much, if at all, after a while.

 

Bettas will glass surf for a while in any new tank. It's like they are discovering the boundaries of their new environment and are really excited to be out of the little cup. They settle in and don't do it much, if at all, after a while.

Yep! That doesn't worry me too much.

Just hope the white bulges dissapear...

 

I have negative/and positive news regarding "Silver".

I went to the store tonight to buy plants and a decoration to make his tank "prettier" (pictures attached). Talked to an employee I have had zero encounters with before...which is odd considering this is my local store. I'm there often.

Anyways, this girl was kind of condescending but was probably right. I told her I adopted Silver, and she said "oh yeah, the one with the tumor". I told her I'm unsure if it's a tumor, as it is flaking and peeling off but she was 100% sure it was a tumor.

Then she stated that dragonscales have issues with their scales growing over each other into bumps. So I stopped and thought...wait a minute. White fish, white bump, the bump is peeling off and isn't getting bigger (yet)...it may not be a tumor...it could literally be scales forming over existing scales...

I have however noticed another small bump appear on him today, so once again...the tumor possibility is getting ever so likely.

I figured, meh, give him a shot