Betta - swelling under/around gill area.

[alexyay]

Both SanityChelle and I have experienced this - first we both just had one fish with the issue, but today I've got 2 fish with the issue (one has shown symptoms for a week or so, the other only for a couple of days).

I was wondering whether anyone could confirm that this is a bacterial infection that they've encountered? SanityChelle managed to fix hers (but the Betta developed further infections and passed) with Furan 2 and I intend on treating them all tomorrow if there's no response to indicate I should do otherwise.

Both of us attempt to keep our water pristine - the only one in poor conditions may have been the male, who was caring for eggs at the time. All 3 of mine have been exposed to stress (eg females at the bottom of the hierarchy, male after spawning) so while it doesn't look to be very contagious, stressed fish seem prone to it.

Edit: It also appears to be only affecting the Betta splendens, and no other fish sharing the same tanks/water system/etc (including other Anabantoids in other tanks sharing the same water).

First my girl, who hasn't been medicated and still has the lump (since around early-mid October), but is still eating and in isolation.

Chuck, SanityChelle's fish who literally developed the same thing at the same time (mid October):

New sick boy:

New sick girl:

I hate to pose the question, but as all of these fish are related pretty closely (all siblings or cousins etc), could it perhaps be a genetic and/or age thing?

[alexyay]

I guess just as an update for anyone curious. The male passed away pretty quick (was too far gone), my girl who I thought was doing OK (who I was quite attached to) passed away the week I wasn't there The last girl who's still very swollen was doing okay until recently in which she looks like she probably isn't going to make it either. At the moment I'm putting it down to being viral but hope to do some samples once I get my microscope set up (though I am totally new to it so may not find anything of use). I have a very small batch of fry from the boy and they are all growing up healthy. The two girls who are a wee bit swollen around the mouth area (no pics of them above) are still looking the same or slightly less swollen.

[SanityChelle]

Just thought I'd add this. Left is him at the worst point, right is after the furan treatment. It's like his was the swelling, but it burst? (Also had a few embers nip at the wound).

[alexyay]

I had to euth one of my girls today who had been infected for a few months now (slowly got worse, and her face had become so swollen that it seemed to be the most humane option).

I managed to do a poor attempt at a squash mount, which appears to be pretty similar to other cells with viral infections. I don't have any expertise though, so cannot make any definitive diagnosis. But I believe it's likely to be a viral infection.

Slides:

[binu]

I did had this problem before !! same couldn't find a clue for it

but I reckon its contagious , I felt so

[alexyay]

I did had this problem before !! same couldn't find a clue for it

but I reckon its contagious , I felt so

Yeah, it's definitely contagious, but I'm not really sure as to what level of contagious it is (whether it's constantly present in the water, whether it needs to be spread via direct contact etc) - but it certainly doesn't seem to be white spot/columnaris/callamanus-level contagious, fortunately. Unfortunately because I can't really treat it, there's not much I can do about it (especially as anabantoids are supposedly prone to viral infections anyway)

[binu]

as far as I know it spread through direct contact ,

[alanmin4304]

Contagious means spread by direct contact.

[alexyay]

Contagious means spread by direct contact.

My apologies - I mean via direct or indirect contact (such as via the water).

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/contagious

Transmissible by direct or indirect contact; communicable: a contagious disease.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contagious_disease

Originally, the term referred to a contagion (derivative of contact) or disease transmissible only by direct physical contact. In the modern day, the term has sometimes been broadened to encompass any communicable or infectious disease.