betta gill disease

Question
Yesterday, I noticed that my betta fish, George, was acting extremely stressed out (darting around, flaring...George usually doesn't even flare out his fins even if I stick a mirror in front of him, so this is highly unusual).  I noticed that the tank was probably due for a cleaning and assumed that he would be fine once I cleaned it.  However, this morning I noticed that his gills were very inflamed and red, so I removed him from his tank and did a FULL cleaning, not just a water change, to remove any and all bad bacteria. Now (about 11 hours later), his gills look slightly less red but are still very swollen and do not shut all the way.  Also, he is acting less stressed but still not totally normal.

I know its not ideal, but George lives alone in a 1 gallon tank (I've been wanting to get him a 5 gallon tank but I live in a college dorm and its not allowed).  I use the appropriate amount of aquarium salt and API Stress Coat+ with every water change.  His tank also has an oxygenation system. I've had him for about 6 to 7 months, and when I first received him he was in one of those very tiny bowls and he had fin rot, which he has been free of for a good 5 months now.  

Is there anything else I can do to help George get better, or should I just keep doing daily water changes as I already am?  One website suggested ampicillin...is this necessary?  If so, where can I get it?  I really want to do all I can to make George better, so please let me know ANYTHING I can do.

Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Jamie and George

Answer
Hi Jamie and George

Red and inflamed gills are usually a sign of ammonia and/or nitrite poisoning. Once the gills have been burned by toxins, it can be difficult to treat them. In a one gallon tank without a filter, I would do 30% water change 3-4 times a week. The salt you are adding will reduce his stress and improve gill function. You can also double the dose of the StressCoat which will help heal his slime coat. I wouldn't use Ampicillin in such a small tank.

I hope this helps and he gets better, good luck!

Richard