What is this bump? - pics added

[Dart]

So my new metallic delta tail is giving me a hard time, maybe calling him Megatron was a bad idea

Anyways, i've had him since monday and i haven't seen him eat anything, i've tried bloodworms and biogold pellets. He doesn't even swim to the surface to see what's going on. or even to breath up there that often, he seems content with using his gills. I saw him come up once and blow a bubble nest consisting of maybe 5-6 bubbles?

He's mostly been hanging out on the bottom of the tank alot, almost like he's trying to hunt for his own food down there
And every once and a while, he does a head stand He balances on the bottom side of his head and sticks his tail into the air and opens his mouth several times like he's trying to talk. Is this normal? Or some sign of disease?

I'm just kinda frustrated right now because even being right beside all my other guys, he's not really interested in what's going on even at feeding time beside the famous jumping Cobalt. He's in a half gallon kritter keeper right now instead of the round jar (which he keep trying to escape from). And i've done two water changes already this week. He is more active than he was when i got him but not by that much.

Any ideas?

BTW my other new guy, Noble eats like a little piggy and loves to follow my mouse cord (it goes right beside his bowl)

 

[Kiarra]

Is it possible he sees his reflection down there, and he's completely obsessed? That would explain the headstand, especially with the opening mouth---trying to bite the Betta beneath him....

 

[Dart]

I had gravel on the bottom and he's still does the head stand. I'd think it was really cute if i wasn't worried about his health

Do any type of bettas not actually eat at the surface of the water?

 

[Kiarra]

How long after you feed him does he appear to stand on his head?

After watching my fry feed, I think I may be on to something..... Is it possible the food falls down there, and he's been finding food in the gravel for a while, so that's where he goes to look?

 

[Dart]

The food is that bio gold stuff and it floats for a good while, he's now swimming up to investigate but he still hasn't tried to eat anythign that floats.

Is there a type of betta food that sinks maybe and he's used to being fed that?

he also seems to be breathing quite heavily, could this just be from not actually going to the surface to breathe?

 

[RandomWiktor]

Personally, I don't like the headstanding at all. He might be looking for sunken food, but combined with the other symptoms (heavy breathing, lethargy, poor apetite), I see it as a reason for concern, as its something I see dying bettas do very often.
I would say if he's not coming up to breath, you should add an airstone so he doesn't get oxygen starved. This can cause labored breathing, lethargy, and poor apetite. Next, you could try doing a good sized water change in case something in the water is making him ill (ie. bacteria), and raise the temp to 82 degrees. You could even add aquarium salt since he might be losing electrolytes from not eating at all.
My next reccomendation would be to see if you can entice him to the top, then blow on the floating pellets or blood worms so that they look like they're moving around. I've had bettas that absolutely will not eat floating food unless it is moving. You could also poke the pellets under water and see if he goes after them while they sink. Since bettas are mostly carnivorous, they have a strong prey drive, so seeing movement often entices them to eat.
You could also try flakes. I had a betta who was actually dying of emactiation because he was too frightened to eat in the pet store, and the stress of bringing him home made him even more terrified. I found that once the flakes sank, they sat on top of the gravel instead of sinking inbetween, and he was able to chew at them on the botton of the tank with ease. I eventually worked him up to pellets.
Do you know what the store or breeder fed him? It might be worth giving them a call. Animals don't usually like sudden changes in diet, so perhaps he is reluctant to eat because he was fed something else.

 

[Dart]

I put him on a heat pad well not just him his tank too And added a pinch of salt and i put a bubblers in there too, and i've noticed that the shape in between their gills on their chin is kinda weird. It looks like he has goitre (which i don't think fish can get )
it's like a lump.

I've also noticed he doesn't flare.

Could it be keeping his mouth closed most of the time? It explains why he alwasy swims around with his head up.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Hmm, I'd be careful about putting something with water in it on something electric like a heating pad. Especially if your tank is plastic, not glass; heating pads can melt plastic. Do you have just a regular aquarium heater? And a thermometer so it doesn't get too hot? You don't want to over heat, after all.

My bettas keep their mouths closed unless they are eating or getting air. I'm sure sure if you were implying that yours keeps its mouth open or shut, but the norm would be a closed mouth.

By the lump, is it kindof between/under his pectoral fins and gills? If so, that is his belly, and if it looks bloated, it very well could be. If he hasn't been eating and has this, I would say he is mostly likely constipated, but also may have eaten substrate (how big is your substrate/could he swallow it), or has a belly mass. Could you try feeding him a cooked pea (cooled down afterwords of course) and see if that helps?

Also, do you have any pictures of him in his current condition? It would help with diagnosis.

 

[Dart]

He always looks like his head is tilted up.

I used the red to help showing what i'm talkign about.

BTW the heating pad is ancient so doesn't give that much heat off and i have a towel over it

 

[Dart]

Does anyone know what his bump is?

 

[WILDER]

This might help you out.
http/www.fishpalace.org/danscomments.html#Lump

 

[BettaMomma]

I had gravel on the bottom and he's still does the head stand. I'd think it was really cute if i wasn't worried about his health

Do any type of bettas not actually eat at the surface of the water?

I have one betta girl who will sort of come up to the top of the tank at feeding time, but she MUCH prefers to do headstands at the bottom and pick up any food that drops. she spends ALL of her time scavenging the bottom for food. She gets herself upside down, sideways, backwards and even sometimes looks like she's stuck between or under rocks. So, he could be just a scavenger from the bottom like mine is.

But then it does sound like you should keep an eye on him because as RW said - there might be more reason for concern there.