Dark Green "spot" On My New Betta

[helwergles]

Dear all,

I lost my first little betta to a parasite disease last week and a new little buddy has just come to continue my first one's legacy. His name is casper and he's witish-redish-bluish. I bought him yesterday and he just ate for the first time here, and has been swimming around non stop since I let him out in my 5 gallon tank. He's really smart.

The thing is, casper has got this dark green, high-relief "spot" on his right grill. I asked the LFS salesman what it was, and he said it was just some sort of birthmark. Is it really it? Can any of you guys tell me if it is just that? Or could it be some sort of tumor?? Fungus? He seems alright and healthy, but...

Here are some pics:

http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/CasperTheFish#5530058304779994658
http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/CasperTheFish#5530058296101447602
http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/CasperTheFish#5530058282940459202
http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/CasperTheFish#5530058277916579346
http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/CasperTheFish#5530060594422702530

I hope it is just a birthmark, but if it's not, can you tell me how to treat him?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Athena]

Oh dear, you're not having much luck with bettas so far...

I've never heard of a fish with a birthmark so I'm totally ignorant on that score.

To me it looks like he has raised scales in the area of that dark patch, which would usually indicate either a tumour or some sort of injury that has become infected and tissues have died off and gone a bit manky.

I wouldn't recommend buying any fish that has lumps/bumps/growths/raised scales etc unless you are prepared to go down the route of having to medicate with the possibility that things may progress for the worse...

I guess in your hands the little chap may have better care than being stuck in a tank in a shop.

As for what to do about it - gosh, I don't know what to suggest, not knowing exactly what the cause of it is.

If it's from an injury that has become infected, then the obvious treatment would be with a good antibacterial med.

Maybe there'll be someone else on the forum that might have come across this same thing before and know how to treat it.

Regards, Athena

 

[WILDER]

The mark looks like the same green he has in colour.

Does he show any of these signs.

Does the green mark look crusty in appearance.
Any excess mucas on the gill.
Do the gill arch or stick out.
Any signs of laboured breathing.
Any red and white mottling on the gill area.
Does he rub his gill on anything in the tank.
How does the other gill look.

 

[helwergles]

The mark looks like the same green he has in colour.

Does he show any of these signs.

Does the green mark look crusty in appearance.
Any excess mucas on the gill.
Do the gill arch or stick out.
Any signs of laboured breathing.
Any red and white mottling on the gill area.
Does he rub his gill on anything in the tank.
How does the other gill look.

So, I would say that the green mark looks a bit crusty because the scales on that region are not completely downwards, but they're not actually "sticking out" either. It's a high-relief spot, so if I could touch it, I bet I'd feel some texture.

On the other side, his grill is perfectly normal, no strong coloration. Maybe there is some texture, too. The light now is not so good, but I'll try to take more pics of him later.

I don't know exactly what you mean by mottling, but I hope you can see it by yourself in the pics I'll try to post later.

No, no rubbing whatsoever. I've been watching him kinda closely, for the tank is perfectly visible from my working area, so I can tell for sure that he's been only swimming around, he doesn't even lay down on the gravel for more that a second or so... really, everytime I look at him, he's nowhere near the gravel on the bottom.

No perceptible mucas either.

Just to add something: His beard opens completely and normally when he's facing a mirror.

Really, he looks perfectly healthy so far.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for helping!

 

[WILDER]

When I say mottled I sort of mean do the gills look red and white like mince meat.
They don't look like that in the pic, just want to check, as pics can sometimes be deceiving.

I wouldn't worry, it dosn't sound like he has a problem if he's not laboured breathing.
If any changes get back to the board.

 

[WILDER]

Here some info for you on fish gills.
http/thegab.org/Illness-and-Treatment/what-is-wrong-with-my-fish.html#Gills

 

[helwergles]

Thanks, Wilder!

Well, yeah, apart from this dark-green "bump" right on/behind his grill, he seems just fine.

He even ate in less than 24h after being moved to his new home, which maybe wouldn't happen if he were sick + stressed out due to moving into a new fish tank... right?

Oh, and a curiosity: he really seems to enjoy swimming right below the filter...!

Ok, it's an aquaclear 20 adjusted to the minimum, but I've read bettas don't like to swim in moving waters that much. I don't know if it's true or not, but my other betta (may he rest in peace) would only go near the filter when I'd turn it of to clean the tank or feed him (so that the flakes wouldn't sink).

Thanks a lot for the link. I bookmarked it ;-)

 

[WILDER]

is there a bump. Thought you just meant the green colour on the betta gill.

Is the bump hard looking or soft like filled with fluid?
Just make sure the bump dosn't resemble a cauliflower.

Lumps and bumps can be viral lymthocystis, bacterial, parasites.

 

[helwergles]

The bump is hard-looking. If you ask me, it looks a bit like mold, you know? But only on the surface.
I have the impression that the real bump is actually beneath his skin, and the dark green stuff is only on the surface, in between the scales.

This pic has been posted already, but it's the best one for noticing the bump:

http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/CasperTheFish#5530058277916579346

If only the pics could show how I see it! I'll keep trying to take more pics and, as soon as I get a more elusive one, I'll post it here.

He ate very well today (I put a bit too much food by accident, but he ate it all in no time!) and he's been happily swimming around all morning.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks for caring!

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
All you can do now is try an internal bacteria med.
If the lump is a tumour it won't cure it.

 

[helwergles]

Ok, I'll try it out. Should I use that same med I used last time?

http/www.sera.de/fileadmin/gbi/sera_omnipur_36.03_int.pdf

If not, I'll have to see what I can buy here in Brazil, since we unfortunally don't have the same kind of medications you have over there =/

Thanks a lot, really.

 

[helwergles]

I found this website which contains some information on lumps and bumps:

http/badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article25.html

It doesn't help me much, since I already bought him with the lump and therefore I don't know when it appeared, but I don't know, I guess he's too young to have such a big tumour.

I'm betting on parasites/bacteria/fungus... and hoping for the best, since he's so cheerful and active!

Can anyone tell if the information on this site is accurate or complement it somehow?

thanks!

 

[Athena]

Well, that's what I had thought...something is causing a few of his scales to protrude slightly under/around the lump. If it was simply his colouration why is it elevated like a crusty lump? Why are those scales protruding? That's what I didn't understand when others were saying it's just colouration. But as I've never come across this before I thought maybe I'd got it wrong.

Looks like necrosis, scabby dead flesh - but who knows for sure?

Have you decided what form of treatment you are going to try, if any?

Athena

 

[helwergles]

Well, since it's all I have now, I decided to drop like 10 drops of that product I used last time:

http/www.sera.de/f...r_36.03_int.pdf

10 drops is not the full dosis, but since he's eating and swimming fast and all, maybe I'll start with 10 and increase as the week goes by... or should I use the full dosis as of now?

I'll let you know if anything changes.

Thanks

 

[Bettawhisperer]

It looks like an injury of some kind. You can put some garlic juice in the water. Garlic juice is very good for all sorts of fish ailments especially parasites.