betta still has growths after treatment

[techna]

I'm at my wit's end with my beautiful Betta - he's going downhill fast despite my best efforts. The white swelling just won't budge.

Tank specs: 30ltr Biorb (around 8 US gallons), one betta, two tetras, plastic ornaments, and standard Biorb filtration.

Initially, Paisa had a small white patch on his flank, but he was still eating well and behaving normally - no issues with the tetras. I checked my fish diseases book and online, and it looked like a bacterial infection to me.

Test results:
No3 25
No2 0
GH less than 7
Kh 3d
Ph 6,4
Cl2 0

I did a water change and treated him with Interpet anti-bacterial as instructed, repeating the dose after 4 days. Initially, the white patch seemed to be improving, but by the end of the 7 days, it was still there. I did another 6 ltr water change and repeated the course.

16th Paisa, another 7 day treatment as before.
Sunday 19th, my notes say "definitely improving, still acting normal and healthy"

I changed the water again and put the carbon back in to give him a break. Throughout the treatment, he was eating and behaving normally - still friendly and swimming well. But I was concerned the lesions hadn't reduced completely.

I gave him a week's break, but I was researching other treatment options just in case. I looked into treatments for white spot and fin rot, and came across Interpet Goldfish disease aquarium fish treatment. The reviews looked good, and it seemed to be a broad-spectrum treatment that could tackle white spot, fin rot, and bacteria. I decided to give it a try.

By May, he still looked terrible.

2nd May, I did a 6 ltr water change, removed the carbon, and treated him with the new meds.

It's now 4th May, and the attached photos show how bad he's looking. The top photo was taken this morning, and the bottom one was from 10th Paisa when I thought he was improving.

I'm getting desperate - everywhere is closed, and I can't get to my usual fish store. Can anyone help? Any ideas what this could be and how I can fix it? The tetras are fine, but my poor Betta is suffering.

Thanks in advance

[brinyveg]

It's possible this could be columnaris, I'm not entirely sure though. Having a school of at least 6 tetras would be ideal, as it is now with just two I'm worried it might be stressing your betta. Is the tank fully cycled, and do you have any recent readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? Also, do you have a heater in the tank? I think @coltin might be able to offer some valuable insight, as he's quite knowledgeable on fish diseases.

[sSjey]

It's difficult to determine from the photo, but I'm curious - is there a lump beneath the white area, and if so, has it ever appeared to deflate, resembling a crater, only to inflate again? I'm asking because I once had a betta with similar symptoms; the lump was on his back, just above the gill, and although he lived normally for a time, the lump eventually grew large enough to invade his gill. The cause was never determined, but it's been suggested since that it might have been a tumour, which is unfortunately incurable. If your betta's condition sounds similar, given the position of the lump or patch, he might be able to live with it for quite some time. As long as he's swimming and eating normally, I'd recommend monitoring him closely and keeping us updated on any changes.

[juicebox]

I think the tank size might be part of the issue here, it's probably causing a lot of stress for your betta, which in turn affects the water quality. Could you tell me what your ammonia level is? I didn't see that in your post.

I would recommend doing a pretty drastic water change - 75% should help improve the water quality and reduce the stress on your fish.

[techna]

I think the tank size might be part of the issue here, it's probably causing a lot of stress for your betta, which in turn affects the water quality. Could you tell me what your ammonia level is? I didn't see that in your post.

I would recommend doing a pretty drastic water change - 75% should help improve the water quality and reduce the stress on your fish.

I've been doing 30% water changes weekly, and I thought a 30ltr tank was sufficient for a betta. I've not been monitoring ammonia levels as my test strips haven't shown any. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've been trying to keep the water quality stable. I'll do a larger water change once this treatment period is over.

[techna]

I think the tank size might be part of the issue here, it's probably causing a lot of stress for your betta, which in turn affects the water quality. Could you tell me what your ammonia level is? I didn't see that in your post.

I would recommend doing a pretty drastic water change - 75% should help improve the water quality and reduce the stress on your fish.

The lump has become quite pitted now, and despite its appearance, my betta seems to be behaving normally. It's possible that it's just a lump, but I have to admit, it does look a bit odd. I'm going to look into columnaris as suggested earlier, just to be on the safe side. I'm still confident that my 30ltr tank is sufficient for my betta, and I'm not convinced that the tank size is the issue here. I've added two larger photos at the end of my post, and I was quite pleased with how the latest one turned out. It's almost as if my betta knows that the lump looks unusual, as he always seems to swim with it pointing away from me - every time I try to take a photo, that is.

[juicebox]

I'm at my wit's end with my beautiful Betta - he's going downhill fast despite my best efforts. The white swelling just won't budge.

Tank specs: 30ltr Biorb (around 8 US gallons), one betta, two tetras, plastic ornaments, and standard Biorb filtration.

Initially, Paisa had a small white patch on his flank, but he was still eating well and behaving normally - no issues with the tetras. I checked my fish diseases book and online, and it looked like a bacterial infection to me.

Test results:
No3 25
No2 0
GH less than 7
Kh 3d
Ph 6,4
Cl2 0

I did a water change and treated him with Interpet anti-bacterial as instructed, repeating the dose after 4 days. Initially, the white patch seemed to be improving, but by the end of the 7 days, it was still there. I did another 6 ltr water change and repeated the course.

16th Paisa, another 7 day treatment as before.
Sunday 19th, my notes say "definitely improving, still acting normal and healthy"

I changed the water again and put the carbon back in to give him a break. Throughout the treatment, he was eating and behaving normally - still friendly and swimming well. But I was concerned the lesions hadn't reduced completely.

I gave him a week's break, but I was researching other treatment options just in case. I looked into treatments for white spot and fin rot, and came across Interpet Goldfish disease aquarium fish treatment. The reviews looked good, and it seemed to be a broad-spectrum treatment that could tackle white spot, fin rot, and bacteria. I decided to give it a try.

By May, he still looked terrible.

2nd May, I did a 6 ltr water change, removed the carbon, and treated him with the new meds.

It's now 4th May, and the attached photos show how bad he's looking. The top photo was taken this morning, and the bottom one was from 10th Paisa when I thought he was improving.

I'm getting desperate - everywhere is closed, and I can't get to my usual fish store. Can anyone help? Any ideas what this could be and how I can fix it? The tetras are fine, but my poor Betta is suffering.

Thanks in advance

I agree, 30ltr is a decent size for a betta. I've been doing 30% water changes weekly, but I might bump that up to 50% from now on. I've been hesitant to add more tetras, and to be honest, I'm starting to think it's for the best - bettas do seem to thrive on their own. I've got a feeling those tetras disappearing might've been for the best, too.

[SeaBidder]

I'm at my wit's end with my beautiful Betta - he's going downhill fast despite my best efforts. The white swelling just won't budge.

Tank specs: 30ltr Biorb (around 8 US gallons), one betta, two tetras, plastic ornaments, and standard Biorb filtration.

Initially, Paisa had a small white patch on his flank, but he was still eating well and behaving normally - no issues with the tetras. I checked my fish diseases book and online, and it looked like a bacterial infection to me.

Test results:
No3 25
No2 0
GH less than 7
Kh 3d
Ph 6,4
Cl2 0

I did a water change and treated him with Interpet anti-bacterial as instructed, repeating the dose after 4 days. Initially, the white patch seemed to be improving, but by the end of the 7 days, it was still there. I did another 6 ltr water change and repeated the course.

16th Paisa, another 7 day treatment as before.
Sunday 19th, my notes say "definitely improving, still acting normal and healthy"

I changed the water again and put the carbon back in to give him a break. Throughout the treatment, he was eating and behaving normally - still friendly and swimming well. But I was concerned the lesions hadn't reduced completely.

I gave him a week's break, but I was researching other treatment options just in case. I looked into treatments for white spot and fin rot, and came across Interpet Goldfish disease aquarium fish treatment. The reviews looked good, and it seemed to be a broad-spectrum treatment that could tackle white spot, fin rot, and bacteria. I decided to give it a try.

By May, he still looked terrible.

2nd May, I did a 6 ltr water change, removed the carbon, and treated him with the new meds.

It's now 4th May, and the attached photos show how bad he's looking. The top photo was taken this morning, and the bottom one was from 10th Paisa when I thought he was improving.

I'm getting desperate - everywhere is closed, and I can't get to my usual fish store. Can anyone help? Any ideas what this could be and how I can fix it? The tetras are fine, but my poor Betta is suffering.

Thanks in advance

The tank size is fine, I believe.

[techna]

I think the tank size might be part of the issue here, it's probably causing a lot of stress for your betta, which in turn affects the water quality. Could you tell me what your ammonia level is? I didn't see that in your post.

I would recommend doing a pretty drastic water change - 75% should help improve the water quality and reduce the stress on your fish.

Thanks, I was indeed considering that. It's a tricky balance, keeping too few or risking more disappearances. I've had my fair share of bettas over the years, this one being my sixth. I've come to the realization that from now on, they'll be solitary inhabitants. However, I still need to figure out what to do with the tetras. Luckily, I have another tank that I've been thinking of reviving. I could start it up again, move the tetras, and get them some companions. While nothing beats the charm of a betta for me, this would undoubtedly make the tetras happy.

[juicebox]

I'm at my wit's end with my beautiful Betta - he's going downhill fast despite my best efforts. The white swelling just won't budge.

Tank specs: 30ltr Biorb (around 8 US gallons), one betta, two tetras, plastic ornaments, and standard Biorb filtration.

Initially, Paisa had a small white patch on his flank, but he was still eating well and behaving normally - no issues with the tetras. I checked my fish diseases book and online, and it looked like a bacterial infection to me.

Test results:
No3 25
No2 0
GH less than 7
Kh 3d
Ph 6,4
Cl2 0

I did a water change and treated him with Interpet anti-bacterial as instructed, repeating the dose after 4 days. Initially, the white patch seemed to be improving, but by the end of the 7 days, it was still there. I did another 6 ltr water change and repeated the course.

16th Paisa, another 7 day treatment as before.
Sunday 19th, my notes say "definitely improving, still acting normal and healthy"

I changed the water again and put the carbon back in to give him a break. Throughout the treatment, he was eating and behaving normally - still friendly and swimming well. But I was concerned the lesions hadn't reduced completely.

I gave him a week's break, but I was researching other treatment options just in case. I looked into treatments for white spot and fin rot, and came across Interpet Goldfish disease aquarium fish treatment. The reviews looked good, and it seemed to be a broad-spectrum treatment that could tackle white spot, fin rot, and bacteria. I decided to give it a try.

By May, he still looked terrible.

2nd May, I did a 6 ltr water change, removed the carbon, and treated him with the new meds.

It's now 4th May, and the attached photos show how bad he's looking. The top photo was taken this morning, and the bottom one was from 10th Paisa when I thought he was improving.

I'm getting desperate - everywhere is closed, and I can't get to my usual fish store. Can anyone help? Any ideas what this could be and how I can fix it? The tetras are fine, but my poor Betta is suffering.

Thanks in advance

Setting up the other tank sounds like a great plan, or you could ask your local fish store if they'd take the tetras off your hands. If not, craigslist or a similar platform could be a good option to rehome them.