Corking idea helps fish to float

The water wings were made from a cork sliced in half

A fish that could not float has been saved from starvation with an unusual pair of water wings.

Gandalf, a five-inch long fantail, had lost the ability to rise to the bait.

It meant the pet was floundering at the bottom of his tank unable to feed.

So owner Graham Morrison, from Middlesborough, fixed a pair of cork water wings to Gandalf's side which enabled him to swim to the surface.

Gandalf was starving before the buoyancy aid was fitted

Gandalf, named after the wizard in The Lord Of The Rings, had a flaw in his swim bladder, the buoyancy aid that keeps fish afloat.

Mr Morrison, a chemical plant worker, had the idea of fixing a split wine cork to Gandalf's sides with an elastic band after he discovered what was wrong with his pet on the internet.

His partner, Beverley Cushley, said: "We've had Gandalf for about four months.

"He hadn't been himself for about the last month.

"He had hardly eaten anything which is why we were so surprised he was still alive.

"He sat on the bottom for about eight days before Graham took the fish in his hands and fed him."