Requirements for ornamental fish bowl cleaning
A hand net for scooping fish from the bowl
Ready-made nets come in various shapes, sizes and materials. You can look for material which may not cause scale damage while handling. Select hand-net with soft and flexible material. Go for fine mesh size so that the petfish may not go through or get caught in it.
The size of the hand net must be small enough to go into the bowl.
Container to hold the gravel, ornamental plants and decorations
Have a separate clean container for putting the gravel, ornamental plants and filter. They require thorough cleaning. Do not dump them with the ornamental fish.
Container for holding the ornamental fish during cleaning
The container must be very clean with broad mouth for the net to go in for scooping back the pet.
Syphon for removing water from the ornamental bowl
Go in for a good quality syphon and the tube must be of sufficient length so that it reaches the bottom of the collecting vessel so that old water does not fall from a height. Sometimes petfish also get syphoned by mistake and a fall from a height may hurt them.
Algae scrappers for cleaning fish bowl
Algae scrappers are available in pet shops. You can select a convenient one for removing the algae from the side.
Razor (plastic razor for acrylic bowl) for fish bowl cleaning
Razor is required for removing the stubborn water marks created on the water edge.
Paper towels for cleaning
Paper towels are required for cleaning and wiping the fish bowl. They are very useful in removing the greasy slime and finger prints on the container.
Use of water treated to remove chlorine/chloramine
Most of hobbyists use tap water for the ornamental fish bowl. However this is treated with chlorine or chloramine to control and kill bacteria by the supplying facility. Both these chemicals are harmful to the ornamental pet.
Try to know what type of chemical is being used in your area. Your local aquarium dealer can help you in selecting the appropriate conditioner.
Collect required quantity (quantity required to replace completely) of clean tap water in a clean plastic container.
Add the required amount of conditioner (as mentioned on the label) to the tap water and stir well. Leave this treated water in the room for 48 hours to complete the removal of the chemicals. At the same time it will also have reached similar temperature as in the fish container.
Alternatively you can use bottled drinking water which is not de-ionized.
Embark on the process only with the above arrangements. It is always safe to keep treated water for replacement during any emergency. Regular cleaning of the fish bowl and replacement of old water will help in maintaining healthy petfish.
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