What is this on my betta's face?

[Saje]

This is my male betta, living alone. About 4 days ago, I noticed a small "growth" or what looked like a growth to the naked eye - on his face. He's acting totally normally so I figured I'd watch it. It's worse today - looks swollen under the bump now too - so I figured I'd get a picture of it and post it here. After looking at the close-up, I'm not even sure it is a growth - no idea what it is. 2 pictures below, one is a close up, one is the whole fish. Any idea what this is?? He is eating great and acting himself (which is always VERY sedate). Necessary info below. (BTW, I left the photos big so if you click on them, you should see great detail.) Please let me know what you think.

Tank size: 5.5 gallons
Water params: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, about 5 nitrate, 7.6 pH. API liquid test kit.
Freshwater
Tank well cycled and established - about 9 months
He's the sole inhabitant of this tank
Temp: 80
No live plants - they're all silk. (He had live plants until about 2 months ago if it matters.)
Filter: AquaClear 20. I deal with cleaning (impeller etc) maybe every 3 months. The course foam gets swished in used tank water about every 2-3 weeks.
No other equipment besides heater and filter.
Sunlight does not hit tank directly and I only light the tank with strip light maybe 4 hours a day. He's in subdued natural light (from across the room) the rest of the day.
Last water change was almost a week ago (due now), changed about 50% of water and gravel vac'ed. Gravel vac and water changes are once a week - about 50% change.
He eats twice a day and gets a big variety. Staple is Hikari Betta Gold pellets. He also gets bloodworms, peas, tubifex, brine shrimp, krill.
No unusual signs, really - he's acting himself.

2 pics:

 

[Wenty]

Hole in the Head....... Click link and Scroll down and find Hole in the head.... I don't know if that's what it is. :huh:


http://images.google.com/imgres?img...rg.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&start=210&um=1

 

[Saje]

It's sort of swollen out though (easiest to see on the first photo) ... and has both white and black colors (again definitely easiest to see on the first photo). That's not his normal color on his face - face/head/body he's sort of a flat darker gray or, mostly, a metallic silver. I think I understand HOTH to be - mostly - like craters with no white and no swelling etc? I dunno... Would really like to get a fair idea of what it might be before treating him. :help:

 

[paperdragon]

I'm not quite sure what it is either, so I'm just giving this a bump up so it'll get more notice.

 

[ayra321]

bump for a pretty fish in need

it might be a tumor:huh:

 

[Saje]

Thanks guys. He's still eating like a champ, but starting to do a weird thing - resting nose down so he's totally vertical. NO trouble swimming or balancing that I can see - just he goes into that position in the plants every once in a while. Freaks me out and makes me gently tap the glass. I don't get it...

 

[mel_20_20]

He doesn't really look like he's got HITH, to me. It almost looks like Carp Pox, which is a viral infection. There's a waxy appearance to some of the white-ish spots in that lesion, and Carp Pox can have a waxy white lesion, also black and/or gray coloration in the lumpish lesions. Does the area just below that, between his mouth and eye, seem inflammed? It looks like it to me.

If I were you I'd just keep his water absolutely pristine. Test the parameters every day and make sure you find ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, and nitrates around 20 or so.

Keep his temperature steady at 78 degrees for now, but if the lesion gets bigger or more inflammed an antibiotic might be needed and the temp may need to go slowy down to 75 or 76 degrees.

Please post more pics to show any changes. I'm not sure what the head down verticle positioning means, but keep us posted on any changes in that. and any other changes in behavior.

 

[Saje]

Hi Mel - thanks for the reply!

Does the area just below that, between his mouth and eye, seem inflamed?

Definitely yes. It's basically that there's this big raised oval, and IN that raised up part is a crater (that white circular thing upper right).

If I were you I'd just keep his water absolutely pristine. Test the parameters every day and make sure you find ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, and nitrates around 20 or so.

Okay, will do. His tank is well cycled and I haven't found ammonia or nitrite in there in a long long time. Nitrates, though, I've never seen higher than about 8 - that okay?

Keep his temperature steady at 78 degrees for now

His temp is at 80 (his preferred) - should I lower to 78??

You said antibiotics if it gets worse. Any point in, since he's eating well, giving him medicated food now? Or just leave this be for a while and see what it does?

I'll try to get another pic in the morning to compare to the originals. It's so hard to see with the naked eye!

Thank you so much!!

 

[mel_20_20]

If it turns out that we decide this is a bacterial infection, cooler temperatures would help to impede the growth of the bacteria. For now, I'd leave it where you have it.

Your nitrate reading is good. Around 20ppm or less is desirable.

Well, regarding antibiotics; taking internally is always a good method, if you can get them to eat it. Let's watch him for another day or to see if there are any changes.

 

[Saje]

Okay. Here's 4 from this morning. Looks like it's starting on the other side in the same place. There are 2 of the original side, one from above, and one of the other side. He's still eating well. Does this look parasitic, or you still thinking viral? (He's not flashing at all, if that matters...)

From above:

The other side: