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Hello. I have a female betta fish; she swims alone in her tank. I recently noticed she has a large lump on her left side. It’s not white, and from what I read online, I think it’s an abscess. She swims slow and stays at the bottom of the tank most of the time. When I feed her, she struggles to swim and eat. Then she’ll swim back to the bottom. Any recommendations on how to treat my fish? Thank you!

Hello. I have a female betta fish; she swims alone in her tank. I recently noticed she has a large lump on her left side. It’s not white, and from what I read online, I think it’s an abscess. She swims slow and stays at the bottom of the tank most of the time. When I feed her, she struggles to swim and eat. Then she’ll swim back to the bottom. Any recommendations on how to treat my fish? Thank you!

Updated On June 16th, 2020

Pet's info: Fish | Betta | Female

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

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Without seeing her myself it is hard to say what the lump is. It could be an abscess, an ulcer or a tumor. There are other causes of lumps that may be mistaken for tumors including: fluid retention, swim bladder disease, and constipation. If the lump is white, then yes, it is most likely an abscess. You can try this product but typically it will need to burst on it's own. You need to be very diligent about keeping the water clean. You can refer to the article below: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDFJ5XN?tag=bettasourcesite-20 https://bettasource.com/betta-fish-tumor/

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