What Is This?

[Winterlily]

This is my male betta, living alone. About 4 days ago, I noticed a small "growth" or what looked like a growth to the naked eye - on his face. He's acting totally normally so I figured I'd watch it. It's worse today - looks swollen under the bump now too - so I figured I'd get a picture of it and post it here. After looking at the close-up, I'm not even sure it is a growth - no idea what it is. 2 pictures below, one is a close up, one is the whole fish. Any idea what this is?? He is eating great and acting himself (which is always VERY sedate). Necessary info below. (BTW, I left the photos big so if you click on them, you can see great detail.) Please let me know what you think.

Tank size: 5.5 gallons
pH: 7.6
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: About 5
tank temp: 80
Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): As above.
Volume and Frequency of water changes: About 50% every week, along with gravel vac
Tank inhabitants: Just the one male betta
Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Nothing new
Exposure to chemicals: None

 

[WILDER]

It's hard to tell in the pic but does it look like a cauliflower.

Growths can be bacterial, tumours, viral lymthocystis.

All you can do really is try a bacterial med.

 

[Winterlily]

Thanks for the response, Wilder. Does it look like HOTH to you? Or is that generally not raised like that?

Worth trying some sort of medicated food (which?) since he's still eating nicely?

 

[WILDER]

Hole in the head usually shows it's self with pitting in the head region. Holes or indentations with strands coming out of them, Or pimples on the head.

Try the medicated food if he's still eating.

 

[Winterlily]

Just realized I didn't answer your question about if it looks like a cauliflower... (sorry! I read that as that you were saying that it did look that way!). No, doesn't really look like a cauliflower. What it looks like is like a swollen up area and in the middle of that swollen part is a crater. So, like the crater/hole isn't flat on him, but it's in the swollen area. You can see that best if you look at the close up full size, at the top right there's a black section. In the middle of that black section is circular white area... that circular white area is like a big hole. I've no idea what the white is on the left.

Try the medicated food if he's still eating.

He's eating well at the moment. Any suggestions for which one? Treating what?

Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

I would take the bacterial route for now.
Even with hole in the head they usually start off as pimples that can ulcerate into a sore or hole.

I think it rare for a betta to get hole in the head, but I would check over in the betta section of the forum.