Bowl vs. Tank

When i was a kid, goldfish lived in Bowls.

They just didn't live very long.

No matter how cute the bowl was, or how much food i threw in there, the goldfish usually didn't survive day 3! And the ones that did, usually died shortly after i changed the water.
So i asked my new best friend Darren, the goldfish guy. (ok, i made the last part up but Darren really is his real name) Darren confirmed what i already knew;
Goldfish don't live very long in a Bowl.

So what's the problem? Well, according to Darren...

1. Not enough air surface in a bowl. Something i never realized...goldfish need "air" and tap water doesn't always have enough of it. That's not to say "don't use tap water in your goldfish tank." You can use tap water, i certainly do, but keep in mind that there is probably not enough air in it. So how do you make sure there is enough air in your tank?

2. Make sure you have filtration in your tank. For questions on which one to buy, talk to my friend Darren...i'll post his number at the end.

3. Goldfish grow very fast and need at least 10 gals of water per fish. (goldfish grow to 6")!

4. Goldfish also need light. Darren has Buddy's light on a timer so it's always on when i'm on the air.