betta health issue

Question
hi my names jenna i have a male betta named skull that ive had for a year and a half today i went to feed him and noticed he has a growth the size of a pea under his side fins hes swimming fine and acting normal but he seems uncomfortable the growth is a brownish color at the tip but the rest is the color of his scales im getting worried about it cause i love my fish and i dont know what to do please help
with love
jenna

Answer
Hi Jenna,

sorry for the slow response, I'm based in England so I usually get these questions during the early hours of the morning.

It sounds as if your betta is currently suffering from a condition known as Nodular Disease. This condition is caused by a single-celled animal called Sporozoans. These 'animals' produce huge amounts of spores as a means of reproduction. The spores are ingested by the fish. Once in the intestines the Sporozoans change into an ameoba like organism. They find their way into the blood stream and lymphatic system. They then multiply so that they inhabit every organ around the body. Once this happens cysts begin to appear on the skin and internally. When the external cysts rupture or the fish dies millions of spores are released into the water, thus producing a new cycle of infection.

Chemical remedies are ineffective, the best thing to do with a heavily infested fish is to consider euthanasia and disinfect the tank.

However, some claim that placing a glass catfish in clear, soft acid water with oak leaves can clear the disease up very quickly. Maybe altering your bettas conditions similarly would work (?).

Good Luck!

Tom

visit www.freewebs.com/thinkfish for information on the most common fish diseases