Unusual Betta Behavior

[threshershark]

Hello! I got a betta fish a couple of months ago (around 4) unsure of his exact age or anything, but he is a twintail half moon.

Recently I noticed him acting different, and swimming unusually. He would always come up and sit on the hammock whenever I went to feed him or someone stood in front of the tank and overall seemed very happy. But now he has a weird lump on the side of him that’s causing him to swim very jerkily and uneven if that makes sense.

My coworker (I work at a Pet Supermarket, where I also got him from LOL) suggested it could possibly be swim bladder.

Anyone have any ideas on what’s wrong with him and how I could help?

 

[Andy Sager]

Hello! I got a betta fish a couple of months ago (around 4) unsure of his exact age or anything, but he is a twintail half moon.

Recently I noticed him acting different, and swimming unusually. He would always come up and sit on the hammock whenever I went to feed him or someone stood in front of the tank and overall seemed very happy. But now he has a weird lump on the side of him that’s causing him to swim very jerkily and uneven if that makes sense.

My coworker (I work at a Pet Supermarket, where I also got him from LOL) suggested it could possibly be swim bladder.

Anyone have any ideas on what’s wrong with him and how I could help?

I'm not sure which lump you talking about, the one in the front or the one in the back (which may just be from the curvature of the spine since the fish in bent.) If it's the front one, it's possibly swim bladder because the body cavity does look rather full. If it's the one in the rear, that's too far away from the body cavity for it to be swim bladder so it's more likely the beginnings of a tumor in the flesh which Bettas are now known to be prone to from all the inbreeding.

 

[threshershark]

I'm not sure which lump you talking about, the one in the front or the one in the back (which may just be from the curvature of the spine since the fish in bent.) If it's the front one, it's possibly swim bladder because the body cavity does look rather full. If it's the one in the rear, that's too far away from the body cavity for it to be swim bladder so it's more likely the beginnings of a tumor in the flesh which Bettas are now known to be prone to from all the inbreeding.

Ah yes sorry I should have been more specific, I am mainly referring to the one in the back — I have done a ton of research on it and unfortunately a tumor was the only thing I could come to the conclusion of as well. He is very lethargic and only hangs out in one corner of the tank, very rarely ever swimming around anymore. I’m going to try epsom salt baths and see if that can help at all!

Is there anything else you know of I could try?

 

[Andy Sager]

Ah yes sorry I should have been more specific, I am mainly referring to the one in the back — I have done a ton of research on it and unfortunately a tumor was the only thing I could come to the conclusion of as well. He is very lethargic and only hangs out in one corner of the tank, very rarely ever swimming around anymore. I’m going to try epsom salt baths and see if that can help at all!

Is there anything else you know of I could try?

Unfortunately, no. There is no cure or treatment for tumors past surgical removal. This is one of the end results of decades of poor breeding habits in the quest for something "new". It's no different than breeding fish for generation after generation without ever adding back new wild blood back into the line.