Q&A for How to Change the Water in a Fish Bowl

You can use a siphon hose to empty the water from the aquarium into a bucket.

Fish waste is filled with ammonia, which can be harmful to the fish. It is recommended that you change the water at least once a week to remove defecation and avoid making your fish ill.

Yup, just make sure you use water conditioner and any other required special additive. Test the pH levels.

No. Distilled water does hot contain any minerals, and will harm your fish. However, you can add a tsp of uniodized salt per gallon of distilled water to increase its pH.

To wash your bowl, use warm water, as it eliminates any bacteria. Do not put your fish in cold water, only room temperature. Like the article says, let the water age.

A 25% change weekly is good.

Preferably get a heater, which will raise and monitor the temperature over time. If you have to pour warm water, do it in small amounts at a time, depending on the tank size. Don't just dump it in, because you don't want to disturb the betta too much.

Contact a friend/family member/neighbor! Even if you give the fish a vacation block, someone needs to make sure the tank is clean and change the water.

Weekly changes around 25% are usually good for a betta. It also depends on whether you have other fish and how big your tank is.

Adding unaged or chlorinated water to the bowl can be dangerous for your fish. Fortunately, there are methods to speed up the dechlorination process. Approximately 30ml of Vodka per 500ml of tap water should dechlorinate the water in about an hour or so. I find that Russian Standard or Stolichnaya work the best. Never, under any circumstances, use Absolut or Aristocrat.

If you do that, make sure to add water softener. Filtered water is usually better.

If you mean aquarium salt, then yes. Never add salt that is made for human consumption.

Yes, you can. You add conditioner to remove any unwanted minerals or chemicals, but there's chlorine that cannot be removed so you should let it sit for 24 hours to let it evaporate.

Yes, even bettas need a bigger tank and a filter and heater. Make sure you get one based on the tank size and the fish type.

If your fish is spending a lot of time near the top, it might not be getting enough oxygen. Try cleaning or replacing the air pump.

Not more than a few minutes, to avoid stress.

Yes, goldfish are quite hardy, so it won't really hurt them. If you're in the US, then your sink water should be around the pH level your goldfish needs.

The water may still contain unwanted minerals, so you should add conditioner, but you won't have to age it.

The answer depends on where you live and what store you go to. That said, the goldfish should be about $.20 per fish, and a cheap bowl about $10. You could add rocks and a couple of faux reefs for another $10 or so more. Since you'll need to feed the fish, you should also add $3 for food... So, $24 or so.

It depends on the dechlorinator you're using, some brands can range between two to ten drops per gallon of water. Check the back of the bottle for instructions for your specific dechlorinator.

It means letting it sit out for a while (overnight or for 2-3 days) so that the chlorine can be removed. Chlorine can kill fish. If you want to skip this process, buy a bottle of dechlorinator from your pet store. I recommend Seachem Prime. It gets rid of chlorine instantly, and it's pretty cheap for the amount of uses you get.

Black spots on fish are usually ammonia burns. It means you haven't been cleaning the "bowl" often enough. Most people do not understand that goldfish are extreme waste producers (they don't have stomachs). In a tiny bowl you will need to do 100% water changes multiple times a week in order to keep the fish alive and healthy.

Buy water dechlorinator to do this instantly. Carnival goldfish/goldfish in general are not suited to live in a bowl. If you plan on keeping it in a bowl long term, you should rehome it. It will grow to the size of the tank and die a painful death because its organs are still growing internally. They are poop machines and will also eventually poison themselves in something that small.

It doesn't have to be exact. If it is a drastic difference that even you can feel, pour a little of the new water into the holding container so that the fish can acclimate to the temperature.

Every dechlorinator is different. On the bottle you have the instructions that should say how many drops per gallon.

Yes, in order to remove the chlorine. Otherwise it is not safe. If you don't want to spend that much time waiting, go to the pet store and buy some water dechlorinator/conditioner. A good brand is Seachem Prime, but any fish conditioner will do. It instantly removes your chlorine and harmful chemicals.

Avoid putting it near a window as that is asking for excessive algae. Make sure it is conveniently located. When you have to do a weekly water change, you need to have some water source like a sink nearby. Keep it away from people walking by - somewhere that people don't usually go near, to avoid bumping. And keep out of reach of dogs and cats.

Yes, assuming that the bowl is small, you should be doing 100% water changes every day until you're able to upgrade your tank to a suitable size for a betta. (2.5+ gallons)

You do not want to use distilled water because it lacks minerals. Instead, use tap water but make sure to add water conditioner to the water before putting the water into your tank.

Do the same cleaning process, it is the same thing. Use a gravel siphon and take out the poo and leftover food and take out up to 50% of the water for a deep clean, but try to stick with 25% every week.