Problems with cloudy water

[Mavi]

Hi. I'm new to the world of caring for bettas and I seem to be doing something wrong. I have an aquamarine veil tail betta named Colin, he is in a 5 gallon spherical bowl (this thing is hefty :P) With aquarium gravel, a small green and I large red plastic plant (I did the recommended test with a nylon on them) and a live bamboo stalk. He is in tap water treated with TopFin betta water conditioner and Stability, and is fed 3-5 betta food pellets a day (I make sure he eats each one) I'm not having any worries about his health, Colin seems happy, he swims, eats and has healthy looking fins and scales but for some reason his waters always cloudy. Even after a 100% change the water refuses to go clear. Is there something I should or shouldnt be doing? Although he seems fine now, I don't want this cloudiness to affect his health. Please, and help would be appreciated.
Another question I haves about heating his tank, the other day I bought a 7.5 watt heater said to increase his tank temp by 5-10 degrees. Unfortunately it doesn't have an adjustable dial and I don't want to stress him out by raising the temp too quickly. What do I do?
Thank you so much, I will appreciate any help :)

[vilmarisv]

The cloudiness sometimes comes with the water. He will be fine and the water should settle in a few hours or a couple of days.
I get that sometimes even when I age my water. Just make sure you're adding the water conditioner and it shouldn't affect him.

If you place the heater in the water with the betta and turn it on the water will heat up gradually and he will be fine. You do have to monitor the temperature of the water. 75 watts in a 5 galon won't do much so I wouldnt worry about it.

[Mavi]

Thanks, I appreciate the help :) I'll try not to worry about it :)

[Myates]

Is there no filter for your tank?

If not then you will want to be doing 1 50% water change per week, with 1 100% monthly.
If there is a filter, then just 1 25-40% water change per week with regular siphoning/vacuuming of the gravel.

Is this the Stability you are adding in? As that could very much be the cause.. the only chemical you should add when doing water changes is just a regular water conditioner. I am assuming you have no filter since you did not mention it, and that you have done a 100% already in it.
Stability is more for a larger aquarium with a filter.. and even then it's not needed when cycling a tank. (If yours has no filter, you will not establish a true cycle.) Basically you are playing with the chemistry when no playing is needed :) so taking that out will most likely stop the clouding up.

For now I would go ahead and do some smaller water changes- do a 50% and add in only the water conditioner, and not Stability- then in another day or so do another water change and see how that goes. Just remove the water, adding in like-temp water and conditioner.

If after 2 of those water changes and still no change, hate to say it but do a 100%, rinse the gravel out very well in hot water, fill it all back up and add in only the water conditioner. That should work- is there a lid of sorts on the bowl? Think if there is a way dust or something could get in there easily and could cloud it up- is it uncovered and beneath an air vent? Something along those lines- that is if it doesn't clear up from the water changes.


Also for the heater- if the water is real cold to begin with, a lot of those small preset ones don't get warmer then just a few degrees over the room temp, to make it easier on the heater to stay stable at the correct temp- whenever you do a water change use a thermometer and try to keep the water between 76-78*. That trick usually works for those types of heaters- get the water to the correct temp and they tend to stay there.

[Mavi]

Yes, that is the Stability I was using. Jeez I have got to stop listening to people at the pet store :P I was told that it would help the growth of the good bacteria in his bowl. Alright well thank you for your advice.
I've tried using warmer water but the heater doesn't seem to want to raise the temp of the water past 74.

[Mavi]

And no, I don't have a filter.