Yeah, you just make space, somehow. I had a 10L bowl I didn't have space for, somehow there's now a four foot tank in the same room. And a 110L and two nano tanks. I think I took apart a dining table and chairs to make space, and I think there was a desk there too.

Once the tank has actually arrived in your house, you just have to make space, especially if it's sat in your narrow hallway where you have to climb over it to get to the door!

Oh my Joanne!!! What a bruiser. You can see why we recommend big tanks for fancies (ponds for single tails) can't you?

Fishy is really lovely though and you have been a good mum since his rescue

As others have said, he/she is ripe now for an upgrade. What size tank is he in at the mo? Just wondering if the 145 litre staples Really useful box may be an option as a temporary home? Not pretty but very useful and can be made more pleasant with lots of live plants for fishy to bulldoze!

Linky here:
http://www.staples.co.uk/storage-arch ... 45-litre-clear-box?r=rhse

Well done on what you've achieved so far. Not many people would have done what you have done. It is time for a move though. I've had goldfish live in a 3ft tank for 17 years and they never reach the size of George. This was all before before joining this forum, indeed before the internet, and learning the truth about keeping goldfish. Now i have 3 tanks two goldfish and one tropical. It is addictive.
Greig

I'd been wondering how you both were getting on!
I read this when you posted it and was so pleased to see how well he is doing but clearly I forgot to reply.

PS His colour is glorious - what do you feed him?

@Silverfish: I think I'll be doing away with my 1930's glass display cabinet (which I currently store my high heels in, it look glam as anything but rather unnecessary) That'll free up 3ft, rejiggle the furniture and remove the floor to ceiling cat-tree and I think I'll be on to a winner then. It's possible to fit a tank in here for sure, but letting go of some favored bits is the toughy. Needs must.

@Violet - I really do! In fact I'd go so far as to say it's ruddy criminal that petshops sell commons as pets which only need a bowl to thrive. George's tail is still on the mend and she's still hard work to keep clean but so far so good.

The really useful box would for sure give some more space for her to spread her fins, but I think that trying to modify the lid to take the lights could end up either with me being electrocuted or george... or the cats! Still keeping my eyes peeled for a tank on gumtree/ebay. The tank she's in at the moment is 2/2.5ft 56L I think which I know is way too small, it will be getting replaced as soon as I can figure out where to find the money. Brand new 4/5ft tanks are crazy expensive :'(

@gtxxx: Thanks :) I've been trying as best I can to get her into some kind of good health after spending the first ten years of her live in a dinner plate size bowl. And my gosh, she's making up for lost time now!

@Tknoxx: I'm feeding Hikari Oranda Gold (used to pre soak them before feeding but she went right off the pre soaked ones and started wolfing down the dry), a couple of pinches of dried bloodworm twice a week, same with dried daphi ... and whatever plants I put in there too :p

I do my best not to overfeed her, going so far as now and then cutting her feeds to once a day to keep an eye on her weight and encourage hoovering gravel rather than begging every time I walk past. She watches me plating up dinner and goes bonkers at the glass wanting fed almost constantly - I've grown a grubber!

Sounds good!

Just a point of warning with dried bloodworm - your skin can become sensitised to them and they can cause a reaction. Be careful about inhaling any powder too.

Oh, thanks for the heads up about that TK, I wasn't aware. My hands seem fine but I have had a break out on my face recently. I put that down to winter weather though as I don't feed the pets with my face lol

Didnt know your postcode for obvious reasons so I guess at one for Dunbartonshire and i used G61 4FB and found a few that might be worth watching

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aquarium-/2 ... _Fish&hash=item338019b9c6

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/aquarium-fi ... _Fish&hash=item35c4998772

Looks as though they come with fish which would be a big problem. The first one definitely does and appears to be tropicals so would be a problem for Joanne, the second is ambiguous saying "everything included", that may mean fish too, which appears to be overstocked with at least six single tails.

Ickle, I had my eye on the second tank too but I'm not at all interested in taking on any more pets - so I'm going to drop the owner a message to ask if he's keeping the fish because I don't want to take them on.

fishlady: Yup, tropicals are not on my list of wants,nursing one single tail back to health is hard enough.

Thanks for the links Ickle! :)