You've probably heard of the myth that a goldfish's memory only lasts 3 seconds, and the popular experiment involving a maze the goldfish would navigate through.

I am working on a similar experiment, but I have no knowledge of aquariums, so I have a few questions I'm hoping someone could answer

The Setup:
Average sized rectangular aquarium with 3 tank dividers with holes cut into them to make a maze (roughly 5cm in diameter). Using a feeder mechanism, I would guide the 5 goldfish through all 3 holes (1 on each divider) to the other end of the tank, stimulating them with the food reward.

Questions:
1. What equipments would I need for the tank setup? Just the tank and a filter? (also, please specify best filter to use)
2. Should I go with acrylic tanks or just glass?

And most importantly...

3. I can't find any tank dividers near where I live, will it be okay just to use a plastic sheet or a sheet of glass instead? or will it mess up the filters?

Thanks in advance.

Also, if you're wondering what I'm experimenting, aside from "Do goldfish have long term memories", is "Can a goldfish learn from other goldfish" (I will teach how to navigate the maze only to 3 fish, and see if the 2 other fish can catch up)

Oh, and also note, I'm just keeping them for the experiment. After I'm done, I'm giving them away.

Sounds like an interesting experiment, however I do have a few pointers...

1) Make sure that you have made arrangements to rehome the fish before buying them, as not all aquatic stores will take fish on the spur of the moment and goldfish can be incredibly hard to rehome.

2) Read up on fishless cycling and water quality, as both will ultimately affect the overall health of the fish.

3) When fitting a glass sheet as a divider, remember to use aquarium-safe silicone, as ordinary bathroom and kitchen sealants contain fungicides which are toxic to aquatic organisms.

Generally speaking a glass or acrylic tank will be fine, the latter is lighter and upto 10 times stronger than glass however it is also more expensive. A 60 x 30 x 30cm arcrylic tank for example may retail for over three times the price of a glass aquarium of the same dimensions.

Depending on the strain, five goldfish will need a minimum of a 75 gallon tank. The common varieties (including comets and shubunkins) can grow large and are very active fish, so a large tank is a necessity.

In terms of filtration a large external would be best, due to the extra media capacity, depending on the make this will set you back at around £60-80. Other essentials include a liquid test kit (for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate), two clean buckets, a net, gravel siphon, dechlorinator and a bottle of ammonia for cycling the tank. Lighting is optional and in the case of goldfish, is really only for needed aesthetic purposes.