What Is The White Tumor On Betta Fish? Causes, Symptoms & Treatments 

What is a white tumor on betta fish? This disease will leave unpleasant patches on your fish and, in the worst cases, pose a danger to their lives. 

This guide will cover the causes, symptoms, and treatment needed for the disease. Let’s scroll down and learn how to deal with it! 

What Is White Tumor On Betta Fish? 

A white tumor is known as a lumpy growth that forms on the betta’s body. Tumors may be external and internal, and the latter will be much harder to detect. 

Causes

Unfavorable living conditions, such as poor diets, infections, and water parameters, cause white tumors on your betta. You may also blame the gene for this disease. 

• Poor diet: Your pet’s health and immune system will suffer from a poor diet. The lack of nutrients exposes it more to the risk of tumors. 
• Improper water condition: A parasite or bacterial illness and significant stress might result from unhygienic living conditions for your fish. 
• Viral infection: A viral infection can cause chaos in your fish tank, especially if you keep it with other species. These illnesses are infectious and can seriously weaken your betta. White tumors are among the consequences.
• Gene: Some betta fish have a genetic susceptibility to cancerous tumors. 

Symptoms 

How to tell if your betta is suffering from white tumors? These signs will help: 

• If your betta develops a white lump on its skin, the main reason is a tumor. 
• Betta fish may have a tumor if they suddenly slow down or tend to sit near the bottom of the tank.
• Betta fish have a huge appetite. If you see leftover food in the tank, your fish may get sick. 
• Depending upon its size and thickness, a cancerous tumor might cause your fish to swim abnormally. 

How To Cure White Tumor On Betta Fish?

We can’t cure all the cases. The treatment differs depending on how severe the disease is and whether it’s non-cancerous or cancerous. Here are your options. 

Surgery

Surgery will be the most suitable treatment if your fish has a cancerous white tumor. Some aquarists try it themselves.

However, we strongly advise leaving this task to the vet who specializes in fish. This video will show you how to remove white tumors in a betta fish:

Euthanasia

You may humanely put an end to your betta if their tumor is making them miserable or preventing them from living a normal life.

Moreover, you may detect the disease too late and can’t save your fish. This issue is common with internal tumors. 

To euthanize your fish humanely, you can use alcohol or clove oil. Yet, it’s better to ask vets to help. They will give you advice and recommend the right products to treat your fish nicely. 

Medication

It is simpler to treat non-cancerous tumors. If the lesion on your beta’s skin results from a secondary illness, such as bacterial infection, it may vanish by itself when treating the primary condition. 

Depending on the sickness that triggered it, the non-cancerous white tumor will need a different treatment plan.

For example, clean water and an antibacterial medicine can treat swim bladder infections. 

If you don’t know what’s causing the white tumor, consider adding aquarium salt in the tank. Salt can handle many illnesses. 

If the ill fish is a member of your tank, move it to a separate tank and treat it there until it recovers. 

Water Changes

Maintaining an ideal water condition is essential for a healthy life of your betta. If the white tumor is non-cancerous, replace the water immediately. 

Also, perform this treatment regularly. It ensures that your fish always have a clean environment to live in. Then, bacteria can’t find a way to get in. 

How To Prevent White Tumor On Betta Fish? 

White tumors on betta fish can be difficult or even impossible to cure. So, it would be best to prevent it from developing. Here are some things you may do: 

• Place new fish in another tank for about two weeks before adding them to the betta tank. With this method, you can take care of any illnesses that could come up during that period.
• Some betta fish have a genetic vulnerability to tumors. But by getting your fish from a reliable breeder, you may reduce the likelihood that they’ll get tumors.
• Balanced, protein-rich diets will keep your betta healthier and more immune to disease.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Can tumors grow internally?

Yes. We have internal and external tumors. While we can easily see the external lumps, the internal ones are hidden from our naked eyes. As a result, we will spot them late. 

2. Do tumors cause death in betta fish?

It depends on whether the tumors are non-cancerous or cancerous. If it’s cancerous and you notice it late, it will be fatal.  

3. Why does my betta have lumps on the stomach?

The lumps on your fish’s stomach can result from constipation, bacterial infection, or swim bladder infection. You need to execute specific treatments depending on the exact symptoms and causes. 

4. What are the types of tumors?

There are several ways to classify tumors. For example:

• Cancerous and non-cancerous: As the names imply, the cancerous ones are more dangerous and may cause death to your fish. 
• Internal and external: The external tumors form lumps on the betta’s body, while the internal ones develop inside it. 

5. Can you treat all betta fish tumors? 

No. For example, internal tumors are hard to detect. Once you realize it, the symptoms may have gotten too severe. 

Conclusion 

Numerous causes may lead to white tumors on your betta fish. In some cases, you can’t treat the disease. Hence, try to prevent it from developing in the first place. 

If you have problems dealing with white tumors, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We will discuss your case deeper to find the right solution. 

Thank you for reading!