betta has fin rot

[Cantra]

I have a half moon betta... he is in a one gallon tank. his tail used to be pretty long and now its about 1/3 to 2/4's the size it used to be and his other fins are starting to disappear as well. I've been doing a 25% water change every day with a 50% change each weekend. I want to get meds for him but my father refuses to take me to get the meds... is there anything else i can do it keeps getting worse and i feel like a really bad caretaker. I've started doing two 50% water changes a week as of this week plus the 25% every day.

[An t-iasg]

Bettas do best in heated, filtered tanks. Bettas are happiest in a stable water temperature of 80-82 degrees. Fin rot is a sign that something's not right with their environment - it could be water that's too cool or rising ammonia levels in an uncycled/unfiltered bowl. Small, unheated bowls often experience temperature swings which will stress the betta. When you do a water change, be sure to match the temperature of the new water with the old water. Meds like Jungle Fungus Eliminator will help the fins begin to heal but then the best thing to do is eliminate the stress from his environment. If you can get a 5 gallon tank, a 25-watt heater, and a sponge filter, your betta should stay healthy.

[Cantra]

I'm not allowed to get a 5 gallon tank my father says its not nessacary and even though i can pay for it he says that i'm not allowed to get it because we have no place to put it and i do have a place to put it either on the bar in front of the kitchen or on my dresser in my room

[miniflea84]

What about a three gallon? If you absolutely have to keep it in the one gal, heat it (if you aren't already) and up the water changes even more, 50% or more a day perhaps. But you (and the betta) will really be much better off in a larger tank. Three or five gallons might not seem like much more water, but its 3-5 times the waste dilution potential, 3-5 times the resistance to temperature change, etc.

As for meds, I've had success with API's pimafix anti fungal stuff. I had gone on vacation and not told my roommate what to do, and my betta was overfed with no water changes. When I got back his fins were ragged, half turned white, and there were white blotches on his body as well. Used that stuff, as well as lots of water changes, and he was almost completly blue again in a couple of weeks. I understand however that it only treats certain types of infection and some people who've used it have still lost their fish.

So, to sum up:
Larger tank, more water changes, Pimafix, heat, filtration, good luck to you.