My beta Lucky is about 2 years old and about 6 months ago he developed some growth on his side. I attributed this to an unknown tumor that nobody seems to know much about. He seems healthy and happy otherwise, I clean his water twice a week, he sits on my desk at work and we have daily chats and sing-alongs (he does the dancing and me the singing). I am concerned now though because it appears as if the growth is beginning to peel or deteriorate, almost like a wart that had been treated with Compound W. Any thoughts or suggestions? I'd really like to prolong the life of my beloved desk mate as long as possible. One more thing, his water is always kept at approximately 82 degrees and is crystal clear. He also eats a weekly diet of betta bites, with a few blood worms thrown in from time to time as a treat--not too much though, don't want him constipated! :-)

Hi, The water is a little too warm - 78 degrees fahrenheit would be good. How do you regulate the temperature in his tank? If you are depending on the air in your office, when you are off work, they may turn off the air conditioning and heat, so his water temperature may be a lot colder or a lot hotter. This would effect his health negatively. Betta fish need an even, consistent water temperature and no drafts of air.

Do you mean you only feed him once a week? If so, then you are starving him. Also, only betta bite pellets and a few freeze-dried bloodworms may constipate him because he needs a little more variety in his diet. This may be why his water is crystal clear with only changing the water twice a week if you have a tiny desktop container. How much water is in his container?