White cotton thing on betta head

Question
Hi i had this betta for a week now and he has this white cotton thing on his head i was wondering if this is dangerous to him. The stats are all good. He hasnt been eatng much though as he doesnt seem to find the betta pellets at the top as he just swims past them.

Answer
Hi Daniel,
Sounds like your betta may be developing fungus. He'll need treatment as soon as possible. Your betta will fight the infection best if he gets daily 50% water changes and if his water is kept warm (at least 78-80F) There are many antifungal treatments available at your petstore. Some that I have had really good success with are Jungle Fungus Clear and Mardel Maroxy, those two medications are ones that I've had the best luck with, as long as the fish gets daily water changes also. Just redose the medication after you do the water change.

He should recover fine from the fungus as long as he gets the necessary treatment. Catching a sickness early is always ideal.

Many bettas have trouble eating pellets, they can be hard for them to take in and chew. It's really best if they have softer food. Probably the best way to feed pellets is to presoak them before feeding so they are waterlogged as you put them in. You can also try betta flakes, frozen worms or brine shrimp, or reconsituted freeze dried foods to give your betta some variery to thrive on.

I really hope this helps!
Best of luck! For more info on bettas and fungus treatment, read here-
http://www.fishjunkies.com/Diseases/fungus.php

Karen~