Betta: Internal Parasite?

Question
Hi Jaymie,

I have a very young, tiny betta named Baby Blue. She is barely an inch and a 1/4 from her nose to the tip of her tail. She is feisty and intelligent. I have been feeding her floating tiny pellets, two in the morning and two at night for the past three days (when I bought her). She already comes to one corner of the tank when I 'call' her to eat.

Her favorite game is 'chase and bite the finger' - I gently and slowly run my finger along the top of her bowl and she likes to stall it, then pounce! She honestly seems to like #and beg# for my attention.

Okay, now this part you'll hate: I have her in a 6"Hx4"Wx3"D rectangle clear glass vase, with a small silk plant and gravel, and a few smooth stones (I noticed she naps on the big one)and of course water. I am siphoning off (and replacing) 75% of the water every three days. Her water is not heated but the room temperature is constant.

I am planning on getting her a 5 gallon heated tank asap, now that I've learned what a healthy betta needs.

Now the question: when I did the first siphoning today (taking care to draw water from the gravel on the bottom), I didn't notice much debris. I did notice a small white protrusion on Baby Blue (located where she ought to be eliminating from).

Am I just being paranoid, or could she have internal parasites? I tried looking at her with my reading glasses on and off, and she is so tiny I can't see much - except that the white bump is there. I haven't seen the regular signs of elimination (my mom had a 20 and 55 gallon tropical tanks while I was growing up, so I've seen alot of fish poo).

This little fish is my computer buddy while I work at night and she is a great little companion. Please tell me what you think of her current condition - parasite or just a nervous fish mom.

Thank you!
Cherie


Answer
Cherie,

 Well the size you have given me she is still quite young. She should be eating fry food not adult food. They eat the baby food until full grown at about 7 months. Your fish store should have fry food and it would be best if you get her that. As you already know, the bowl she is in is not acceptable housing for a Betta. The fact that she is still so small, makes it an ok temporary home. The water changes are good, but I hope you are adding a water conditioner to it. Our tap water has chlorine and other things not good for fish. If you are not conditioning it i suggest you get some from the store. They have one thats called BettaSafe and that should be good for her. Just follow the directions on the bottle as to how much to use. She NEEDS a heater. At that age she is still growing and needs her water to be at 8 degrees at all times. The sooner you get that for her the better off she will be. As for the white protrusion it is normal. That is how you know she is female and not male. It is called an Ovipositor. That is where the eggs come out of when breeding. So no need to worry it is normal for her to have that.