The iconic fish tank that used to brighten up Nottingham's Victoria Centre - Nottinghamshire Live

There's something missing from the Victoria Centre of today. It's not any particular shop - in fact, enjoying it didn't cost you much more than the bus fare into the city centre.

It was a fish tank. Jerry's fish tank, to give it its "proper name", used to sit on the upper level of the shopping centre, brightening up the place and putting a smile on the passing children.

It served a practical purpose, too. "Meet me by the fish tank" was a lot easier than trying to pick your mates out of a crowd.

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The original fish were all rescues, according to the Centre's manager in 1998. You might remember some of them - especially the seven giant pacu fish, that can grow up to 1.1m long.

The sight of the big fish in the tank caused a bit of a stir at first, with people writing in to the Post to complain that they weren't suited to tank life. They were moved to the London Aquarium before they were fully grown, with their journey even making it on to the telly, but they were still an imposing sight as "teenagers".

There were plenty of memories made in the blue glow of the fish tank. This thread on Reddit discussed the old favourite. User andtemp said "When my daughter was a toddler she would want go to see the "Mazins", as she called them...because they were amazing."

littlebuttrkitten said: "I feel like this was there only a couple of years ago! Or am I just getting old and losing all sense of time?". Do you feel the same?

AnnieCorleone wrote "Yes! Did anyone else feel like they had a special bond with one of the fish, too? Lol. For me it was that absolutely massive one. I thought he was "Jerry" and I used to press my face up against the glass to talk to him."

Other fish you might remember is the bright white Bonnie and Clyde, and their pals, the giant gouramy fish. They were the last of the original set to leave in 2001.

Gary Gorlay, who used to look after the fish.
Gary Gorlay, who used to look after the fish, in 2001.

Rumours that there were other fish tanks hidden in the depths of the Vicky were true. There was a "fish house" used while the main tank was being cleaned and serviced, and one employee we spoke to back in 2002 said they looked after around 200 fish.

At the end of 2009 came the devastating news - the fish were leaving, as the tank had come to the end of its life. Thousands of people joined the "Bring Back Jerry's Fish Tank" campaign on Facebook, showing just how much it had become a part of the Centre in just over a decade.

But it wasn't to be, and the Victoria Centre's fish went to their new home in Bristol Zoo. Now there's a little less life in the old shopping centre.

What do you remember of Jerry's fish tank? Did you meet up there? Were you amazed by it as a kid? Comment below, and join us on Facebook for more.

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