lump on bettas head

Question
Dear Amber,
I have recently noticed a lump on my betta Azrael.  I have had him 2 years and he resides in a half gallon bowl and has been completely healthy up to this point.  I noticed the lump a few weeks ago and thought nothing of it, thinking maybe he had hurt himself moving around rocks.  But it has steadily gotten bigger.  It is on his right "nostril" in front of his right eye.  It looks sort of like a blister that a human would get.  His color is fine and his behavior hasn't changed (he is eating fine and doing his normal activities).  It is not affecting his eye at all, but I am worried that it is a tumor. I was looking up illnesses and couldnt really find anything that matched.  He doesn't have ick or "hole-in-the head", just the bump. I heard that Promethyasul is a good in-general treatment, but I didn't know if his ailment is due to fungus.  I also can't seem to find Promethyasul in the US (only online austraila stores that don't ship here).  If I need to get an anti-fungal treatment for him, could you suggest a comparable, more easily obtainable one?  Thank you for your help.
-Jenna

Answer
Hello Jenna-

Unfortunately, if the lump looks like a tumor, it probably is. Bettas are quite inbred, and tumors are very very common. Most bettas live their lives just fine, and some bettas will even scrape the tumors off if given the chance (in which case, treat with Melafix to heal the sore.)

Unless the lump appears fuzzy or inflamed, I would not medicate with an anti-fungal or anti-bacterial medicine. You can use a small dose of Epsom salts to possibly reduce the swelling (if it is a fluid filled tumor - but there's no way to tell without lancing it) ...you can use this treatment if you'd like and see if there is improvement.

Dosage:
Measure out 1/8 of a teaspoon of Epsom salt, divide into 10 equal parts. Dissolve one part per 1/2 gallon of water.

A good anti-fungal medicine is Maracyn I or Maracyn II, though they both can be tricky with such a small tank.

Hope this is helpful
-Amber Worman