bettas/saimese fighting fish that cant swim properly

Question
hi am worried about one of my fighting fish he is ruffly 2 years old and until 2 or 3 month's ago we had no problems with any of them but now he cant swim  properly, he strugles to get to the top for food and he somehow likes to sit on the bottom of the tank and his statue's in his tank and he rarely swims anymore and i don't know what to do because the other fish of mine is fine!! please help

Answer
Hi Tamara,
It sounds like he has Swim Bladder Disease.  This comes from poor diet, and too feeding too much.  The Betta gets constipated which leads to swim bladder disease.
Try feeding him a well cook frozen pea.  Cook the pea until it is tender, remove the outer layer, cut it into tiny pieces, and try feeding this to your betta one piece at a time.
If he won't eat the pea, then you will have to treat him.  Swim Bladder Disease is not catching.  If caught in time it is curable.  
Kanamycin, Tetracycline, or Furan 2 help to make a Betta better, but your mustn't wait too long.
Here is more information on the Betta:  Some you may already know, but I will type it down just incase.

A betta needs at least 2.5 gallons of water, but in my book 5 gallons is best.  
In his habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but he has lots of room to swim.  
Keeping Bettas in small bowls, containers, vases etc, is cruel.  The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market.
He needs a heated tank,  Temperature should be 78-80 degrees.  He is a tropical fish, and is cold under this temperature.  Cold bettas get sick, are miserable, and live unhappy lives. ( Always remember that when heating a tank, do this very very slowly..1 degree every two days, as bringing up the temperature too fast could kill your Betta.)  They should have a silk plant in their tanks, so that they can rest on the leaves  They also need a little tunnel or some knick knack that they can go through.   You may add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt in his water which has been diluted before adding to his tank.  1 teaspoon to 5 gallons of water.
He needs a varied diet. This is very important.  Betta pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, and bloodworms should be given once a week as a treat.
He should be given one frozen cooked pea a week, and on the day you give him the pea, he should fast.  
Cook a frozen pea until it is well cooked and tender.  Remove the outer layer, and cut into tiny pieces.  
Feed your Betta one piece at a time making sure it doesn't fall to the bottom of the tank.  This helps to clean out his system.
A betta is prone to constipation, and constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease.
He should have 2-3 small meals a day, and not one big meal.  We must remember that his tummy is the size of his eye.
Example:  2 pellets for one meal.
Water changes are very important.  Water changes must be made every week without fail with a good water conditioner such as Aqua Safe or Stress Coat.  There is also a conditioner made especially for bettas.
When treated well, a betta can live up to 8 years, and be a very good friend.  
He's an intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.
Too many vendors know nothing about the betta, and don't care...so don't give good information on how to keep them.
They are there to sell, and will say anything just to make a buck.  They send you home with your bought betta, telling you a small bowl is perfect, and bloodworms!  The poor customer thinks he has everything he/she needs, and then the fish gets sick, money is spent to cure him, and eventually the fish dies.   
This turns my stomach over.  Unfortunately there are no laws to protect fish.  
Bettas kept in small bowls, and, vases, will get sick, and are very hard to cure in such little water.  They end up dying, and
that hurts the person who has grown so attached to them.  They don't deserve to be treated this way.
This is how a Betta should be treated.  If treated this way, you will have your friend for a long long time.  I have bred them, love them, and know what is good for them.
I hope this helps, and if you have more questions, please write me again.
Lynda