betta fish ill

Question
My betta fish has developed what appears to be a huge bulge on his chest. It starts right after his little front fins and continues to his tail. Almost as if he's really fat. (I don't overfeed him though) His skin is so stretched the bulge is white. The poor guy is so top heavy and I see him laying on the bottom with his head down and his tail facing up. Also, he has lost some of his color on the rest of his body (it's faded) and has little white spots on him. I tried Ick treatment for the spots at the recommendation of the pet store but it doesn't seem to have helped and the bulge is getting bigger. I'm afraid to change his water because I don't want to make anything worse.

Answer
Hi Sandy;

Poor guy. It sounds like an internal infection or some other internal problem such as cancer. I usually recommend an antibiotic that absorbs into the fish such as "Maracyn Two" or Kanamycin. The trouble is that when fish start to 'flip over' they are often too far gone to help. I'm so sorry this has happened. Sometimes there just isn't anything we can do. If he is still alive as a write this, you could try the antibiotics right after a water change. Fresh water helps the immune system. You don't have to change all the water if you are worried about shocking him. Just scoop out 25% and replace it every day. Be sure the new water is the same temperature as the old water and use a water conditioner. I sure wish I could help more...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins