Male Betta fish with white sack hanging under belly

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have a male 'monster' Betta who I have for about 4 months now. He has always been healthy and active. Last night I noticed he was lying in his plants for most of the night (he is in a 10 gallon tank, well planted with a heater kept at around 80, a foam filter and a pleco. The pleco spends most of his time hiding under the driftwood). But he came out to eat.

This afternoon I saw that he has a white egg shaped sack hanging under his belly, up near the front fins. He is still swimming around, not hiding right now. The sack is quite large, for the size of the fish, and was not there yesterday morning. It may have been there last night, but he was on the plants most of the night so I wouldn't have seen it. Any idea what it is? I hope it is not his intestines hanging out...Thanks in advance!

ANSWER: Hi Jenifer,
I would really have to see a picture, if this was possible.  If it is a swollen tummy, it most likely is Swim Bladder Disease.  Bettas are prone to this disease, and it is caused by overfeeding which begins with constipation which often goes unnoticed, and poor diet.  Bettas should have variation in their diet.  Here is a list of food that the betta should have;
Betta pellets
Betta flakes
Plankton flakes
Daphina ( This food is very important as it helps the betta with his digestive system.)
Bloodworms as a treat, now, and then
Glassworms
Mealworms
Frozen Brine Shrimp
One cooked frozen pea a week with the outer layer removed, and cut into bite size pieces.  Feed the pieces to your betta one at a time, making sure he eats them, and that they do not fall to the bottom of the tank.  This is so he can clean out his system, and avoid Swim Bladder Disease.  On the day you choose to feed him the pea, feed him nothing else for that day.
Bettas should have small meals 2-3 times a day.  Two pellets, or two flakes for one meal.  His tummy is the size of his eye, and we must always remember this when feeding them.  Small meals, and never a big meal.
For now, try feeding him one frozen pea, and see if he wastes.  He must waste.  If you see no change in one day, you will have to medicate him.  "Kanamycin" is very good for Swim Bladder Disease, but sometimes hard to find.  If you cannot find it, buy "Tetracycline" or "Furan-2"  Follow the directions on the package.

If it is a growth, it is impossible for me to diagnose it.  Only a vet could do this.  Growths sometimes happen in fish.  It could be a tumor, or a boil.  Never try to squeeze a growth, as this would be extremely painful to the fish, and would cause death.  Fish live a long time with tumors that are non cancerous.  Most of the time they are benign.  If it is a boil, it will come to a head on it's own, much like us.  Keep his water very clean, free from ammonia, and nitrites.

I hope this will help, and that he will recover.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your quick reply, Lynda, the sack has fallen off (I think, I can't see it anywhere, but I will check when I vacuum the tank)it happened in the last two hours. I have NO idea what it could have been! I feed him Betta pellets, blood worms once or twice a week, and he's figured out how to eat bits of the algae wafers that I feed to the Pleco weekly.

With the pea, should it be thawed before I cut it and feed it to him? I also can find very little information on these so called 'Monster' Betta's, I just assume that it's a male since that is what I was told when I bought him, but they are much larger and much less showy then regular Betta's, so he has smaller fins then a regular Betta anyway, more like the fins of a female. Do you know much about them

Answer
Hi Jenifer,
Blanch the pea first, then remove the outer layer, and cut it into small pieces.  He could have had a boil, like I mentioned to you in my last letter, and it came to a head.  As a prevention, I would give him a treatment of "Bettafix"  I would like to mention here, not to use "melafix" on Bettas, as this medication is too strong for them, and could cause death.  Bettafix has the same ingredients, but half the strength, and is safe to use.
If you look on the web, you will see pictures of monster bettas.  They are beautiful, and need the same care as any other betta.
Lynda