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2. Essential Aquarium Supplies For Goldfish You really shouldn’t keep goldfish in a bowl. It is much too small to keep them alive for any length of time. Bowls also need daily maintenance, as the water gets smelly fast. I know you always hear the story about the goldfish that lived for thirty years in a gallon bowl, but that is the exception than the rule. Before you get your goldfish, you need to get these essential aquarium supplies.

3. The Tank This might seem obvious for a list of essential aquarium supplies, but some people need practical advice. Get a new tank or a tank that only housed fish successfully in the past. For example, I took on my Dad's 20 gallon goldfish tank a couple of years after the last fish died. My five goldfish are currently thriving in it.

4. Goldfish tank Get the biggest tank you can afford that your floor will also be able to carry. My goldfish tank is in the basement because of its incredible weight. Also, my bedroom is in the basement, so it works out all right. Bigger tanks require much less overall maintenance than smaller tanks.

5. The Filter Another essential aquarium supply is your filtration system. These have come a long way in the last decade. They are easier to maintain and less messy than the filtration systems of the past. I recommend for goldfish what's called a biological filtration system. They usually hang over the side of the tank. Add extra filter cartridges to your list of essential aquarium supplies.

6. The Air Pump You need some sort of water agitation system for your essential aquarium supplies. This includes incredibly inexpensive air hose, various air stones (also called "bubble stones") and the all-important air pump. When you can, get at least two in case the one air pump dies on you.

7. Thermometer Although goldfish are classified as cold water fish, they prefer a constant water temperature of about 68 degrees Farenheight. You need to know how hot or cold the water is in order to keep your fish at optimum health. An inexpensive but necessary aquarium supply is a tank thermometer. There are ones you can stick on the outside or inside of the tank.

8. Electrical Outlet Strip This might seem like a strange item to add to a list of essential aquarium supplies, but it makes life for you and your fish a lot easier. A tank needs several electrical outlets, and having a strip to plug them in saves you a lot of time trying to figure out what wire goes to what home appliance.

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