Betta fish Gill Hyperplasia
Betta fish gill hyperplasia in general is the increase in the number of cells in a given location; for example, tumors. In bettas, hyperplasia of the gills is the most common as the gill tissue is very sensitive and susceptible to damage from toxins. Ammonia and nitrite, for instance, can reek havoc on fragile gill tissue even at seemingly low levels like .25 -.5 ppm. In basic water with a pH above 7.0 toxins become considerably more potent. It’s not uncommon for damaged gill tissue to form a stringy mucus similar to that of a bacterial disease like Flavobacterium columnare.
