Things You'll Need
- Fish bowl filter
- Aquarium flocculant solution
Instructions
Clean out your fish bowl if it is dirty through lack of maintenance. Cloudiness after routine maintenance usually settles without intervention, but if the problem is persistent and returns after a day or two, install a filter to keep your tank clean.
Measure how much water is in your fish bowl and purchase a filter in an appropriate size. Filters have guidelines on the outer packaging so you can see which one is suitable for your needs before making a purchase. If in doubt, choose a larger capacity. Over-filtration is better than insufficient filtration. There are filters designed specifically for small fish bowls, so even if your tank is tiny, you should be able to find a suitable piece of equipment.
Install the filter according to the instructions on the box and leave it to work for a day or so. You should see the bowl start to decloud within a couple of hours as the filter pulls dust, debris or suspended algae from the water.
Check your fish bowl after 24 hours. If the problem was excess dirt and waste, the water should be vastly improved. A persistent white cloudiness in the water that the filter has not rectified is a bacterial bloom. Typically, this appears after a new setup or following routine maintenance. If it remains cloudy after two or three days, you may need to apply a water treatment.
Purchase a commercial aquarium flocculant from a pet store. If you are not sure whether the cloudiness is particle or bacterial-based, buy a broad spectrum solution that treats both problems. Very fine dirt particles can pass through the filter and remain in the water giving a cloudy appearance. A flocculant binds together suspended particles until they are big enough to be caught in the filter.
Add the aquarium flocculant to the water according to the dosage instructions. Don't panic if your fish bowl suddenly becomes cloudier because some brands make the water look worse for a couple of hours before it starts to clear.
Prevent a reoccurrence and keep your bowl clean and bacteria-free with regular maintenance.