# Betta fish cancer?



## britt08 (Jan 9, 2009)

I have had a female betta for about 3 months now, and she eats normal and everything has been just fine. Well in the past 2 months her belly started swelling really big, and I wasnt sure what it was but i figured she might be producing eggs or something? Well I heard that if they dont come out she will absorb them, but shes only been getting bigger in that one area, and it looks like part of her is about to pop. Is it a tumor? She still eats fine, no illnesses so im not sure what it is. Any ideas? :dont_tap_the_glass:


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

She may have a swimbladder problem or even a problem with constipation with those symptoms. What does she eat and how much? and what is the temperature of her tank at present? Those may sound like funny questions but sometimes if the problem is one of those that I mentioned a raise in the tank temperature slowly to 82 degrees F or 28 degrees C is all that it takes to cure it. (along with a total fast of positively no food of any kind for a day or two) You can try this and even if this is not the problem it will not hurt her. Any fish can be fasted and have a couple days at the increased temperature to check the possibility of the problem being metabolic or digestive problems generally without harm. Bettas actually need to be kept at 78 to 80 degrees F or 26 to 27 degrees C at all times with very little fluctuation to maintain their good digestion no matter what they eat and the bunk that they should be given all they can consume in a matter of a few minutes is an open invitation for constipation and swim bladder problems. Bettas are little gluttons and will eat themselves sick. Mine are given very small meals of just a matter of 5 or 6 pellets or 5 or 6 bloodworms. Remember that their stomachs are the size of their eyes and that is small. When you pour food out why put enough in that it covers the top of the tank? I am not saying that you do but most people do put in enough food to feed 3 or 4 times the number of fish they are feeding.

It is true that the fish can get egg bound but this does not sound like a case of that. It does not sound like a tumor either actually as tumors in fish are generally no so general but more localized and smaller in area than a whole side.

Please let us know how she is doing and do not hesitate to let us know if there is any change in her condition that concerns you. I will be glad to try to find more information for you if needed. 

One more thing I need to know. Is she alone in her tank or does she have tank mates and if so what type of fish and how many? It is a possibility that she has sustained an injury of some type and is swollen. Not a liklihood but needs to be considered as they are bettas and as such a semiaggressive type. They do get territiorial.


Rose


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## britt08 (Jan 9, 2009)

Chickadee said:


> She may have a swimbladder problem or even a problem with constipation with those symptoms. What does she eat and how much? and what is the temperature of her tank at present? Those may sound like funny questions but sometimes if the problem is one of those that I mentioned a raise in the tank temperature slowly to 82 degrees F or 28 degrees C is all that it takes to cure it. (along with a total fast of positively no food of any kind for a day or two) You can try this and even if this is not the problem it will not hurt her. Any fish can be fasted and have a couple days at the increased temperature to check the possibility of the problem being metabolic or digestive problems generally without harm. Bettas actually need to be kept at 78 to 80 degrees F or 26 to 27 degrees C at all times with very little fluctuation to maintain their good digestion no matter what they eat and the bunk that they should be given all they can consume in a matter of a few minutes is an open invitation for constipation and swim bladder problems. Bettas are little gluttons and will eat themselves sick. Mine are given very small meals of just a matter of 5 or 6 pellets or 5 or 6 bloodworms. Remember that their stomachs are the size of their eyes and that is small. When you pour food out why put enough in that it covers the top of the tank? I am not saying that you do but most people do put in enough food to feed 3 or 4 times the number of fish they are feeding.
> 
> It is true that the fish can get egg bound but this does not sound like a case of that. It does not sound like a tumor either actually as tumors in fish are generally no so general but more localized and smaller in area than a whole side.
> 
> ...






She is in a community tank with a variety of tropical fish, ranging from platies to dwarf gouramis, and there are a few snails frogs and algae eaters too. I also have two plecos, one who is about 5 inches long and another baby who is only an inch. The tank is generally kept at an average of 82, and drops do 80 at night. She eats the same food as everyone else, freeze dried bloodworms and tropical flakes/crisps, and the occasional cucumber, but this started growing on her before she was even placed in the community tank [with a heater]. While the other guys are pigs she usually only takes one or two pieces of food, a little more if its bloodworms. She doesnt really chase any of the other fish, and a gourami followed her around once until she snapped at him, and theyve just ignored eachother since. I moved back to school recently and they didnt eat for about two days during the process, and there wasnt any change in her. Her swimming is normal, not sideways or uncontrolled. :nemo3:


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

Firstly, gouramis and bettas cannot really be kept together as they will eventually kill each other so it is good that you took them apart. She really needs to be where she has a controlled diet with a swelling like that for now. It is not the fact that she chases and may run into the others at this point that worries me but that they may do it to her during feeding time or at a time when everyone is milling about. She needs to be in a quarantined and protected area to see if she can heal. And if the tank is heated it should not be dropping in temperature at night. Once you set the temperature on the thermostat it should stay at that level. Bettas usually do not mix with either platies or gouramies due to the fact that they both either resemble or are related to bettas and while she is a female it is my experience that the females are every bit as aggressive as the males when it comes to tank mates. If possible it would be nice to see her for the time being in a quarantine tank to allow her to heal.

Rose


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