Urgent new betta fin loss!

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I have two 10 gallon aquariums and a newly aquired 3 gallon aquarium. My two 10 gallons are well cycled and have been set up for more than two months with nearly perfect water chemistry, and when I put water in my new 3 gallon I took it from those tanks, so cycling is not an issue here. I got this new 3 gallon tank just after I aquired the most beautiful male betta in existance. I work at the walmart at which I got this fish (believe it or not, the manager in charge of pets is VERY knowledgable about fish and their fish are pretty well kept!). Still bettas are not in the best condition by the time they reach stores. Anyway, I bought him and set up a very decent new tank with a smaller whisper filter because the 2-10 gallon one just swooshed him all around the tank. The edges of his fins werent in great shape when I got him, so I should have seen this coming. My next move wasnt very smart either in a way, but a week or so later I got him a female betta. I did so with reservations, but the two where both the same beautiful blue and got along VERY well) Unfortunately this positive relationship quickly became more intense and the female decided she wanted to mate with him, but his fins were already in bad shape. As soon as I saw this frisky behavior I removed the female from the 3 gallon and put her in with the fish in my 10 gallon (shes perfectly fine in there). Unfortunately the male's fins got worse very quickly even without her there. There are the holes, red patches, and even the dark rough edges on his tale, and his suffering has me quite upset. This all happened within the span of 2 days. I completely cleaned the 3 gallon very well, placing him in a small 1.5 gallon tank I used to use. I filled the 3 gallon back up and put water in it (with aqua safe and stress coat) and let it filter for a few hours. I then took the carbon filter out and put in about 1/3 of a jungle fungus tablet, but I dont know if that is enough. What can I do to get rid of it fast without hurting him?!

ANSWER: Hi Kelly,
Never put a female in with a male.  This caused him even more stress, and I'm sure the female must have been stressed too.  This is a big NO NO.
A 3 gallon tank does not need a filter with a betta as long as you change all of his water every week, and make sure his water is clean.  A betta does better without a filter in a small tank.  Change all of his water, put him back in the three gallon tank, as putting him in a smaller tank is only stressing him more.  He needs an antibiotic.  Buy Tetracycline, and follow the direction on the package.  Add 1 teaspoon of diluted aquarium salt to his water. When a betta gets sick, we must take action at the first sign of sickness, as disease spreads quickly.  Be careful not to overdose, and hopefully he will pull through.  
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I got some of that cure-all medicine with that chemical in it, and I even got some aquarium salt. I completely cleaned out the tank and gave him the proper dose of both the medicine and the salt. Yet, even now, only a day later, his tail looks even worse. I know how the female being with the male could seem bad, but shes really not agressive and neither is he. She gets along perfectly with my GLOfish (they pretty much ignore her though). When I put them in with eachother they checked eachother out but didnt do anything to eachother.They dont dislike eachother at all, but i think she just tried to get him to do stuff he wasnt in condition to do. I took her out of his tank and put her in the 10 gallon right next to it, and she only swam on the side next to his tank for the first several hours. Not agressively, just kind of like she was sulking. They both kept looking at eachother, but neither made an agressive move toward the other. just kind of stared. Anyway, is there anything else I can do to help him stop rotting away and heal?

Answer
Hi Kelley,
I breed bettas, and there are no exception to the rule.  Sooner or later they will tear each other apart if you keep them together.  "Cure all" tells me nothing.  You must get him a good antibiotic.  Tetracyline is a good one.  If you cannot find this medication, buy Maracyn, and Maracyn two.  Combine the two medication, and this should help his get rid of his fin, and tail rot.  You must not wait.  You must use the right medication, not all medication cure the same disease, and in this case you must buy Tetracycline, or  Maracyn, and Maracyn two combined.
Hope you find the medication, and that he will pull through.
Lynda