For seven glorious years, Tanked was the show that made you believe anything could be an aquarium. A coffin? Sure. A toilet? Why not. A working jukebox filled with live fish? Absolutely.
The Animal Planet series turned custom aquarium design from a niche Vegas business into must-see TV, with Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM) at the center of it all. But when the show wrapped in 2018 and ATM eventually closed its doors, fans were left wondering: did the cast just… walk away from fish tanks forever?
Turns out, some of them couldn’t quit the aquarium life even if they tried.
When ATM Closed, the Crew Scattered
After 15 seasons of building the world’s most absurd (and expensive) fish tanks, Acrylic Tank Manufacturing shut down. The Las Vegas facility that served as both workshop and TV set went dark, and the tight-knit crew that had spent over a decade together suddenly had to figure out what came next.
Co-owners Wayde King and Brett Raymer went their separate ways professionally, and the rest of the team followed suit. Some stayed in aquariums. Others pivoted hard into completely different industries.
Here’s where they all ended up.
Wayde King Is Still Building Tanks (Just Not on TV)
If you thought Wayde King would retire to a quiet life after Tanked, you don’t know Wayde King.
The guy who spent 15 seasons designing aquariums shaped like motorcycles and pirate ships didn’t just walk away from the industry. He’s still in the game, now working with EcoArk Entertainment to design large-scale custom aquariums for clients who have both the space and the budget for his signature over-the-top style.
That said, his main focus these days is actually water filtration. He’s the president of King Water Filtration, a company that brings clean water to homes across Las Vegas. So instead of filling giant acrylic structures with water, he’s making sure the water coming out of your tap is actually safe to drink.
It’s a pivot, but it’s still very much on-brand for a guy who’s been obsessed with water his entire career. You can read more about what Wayde King is doing now if you’re curious about the full transition.
Brett Raymer Traded Fish for Fettuccine
Brett Raymer’s post-Tanked journey is honestly the most unexpected.
The guy who used to argue with Wayde about acrylic thickness and LED lighting is now running an Italian restaurant. Stallone’s Italian Eatery is his baby, and yes, the name has sparked endless speculation about whether he actually went into business with Sylvester Stallone. (Spoiler: the connection is more complicated than you’d think.)
But Brett didn’t completely abandon his design roots. He still runs BR Design Group, a consultancy that handles various creative projects, including the occasional custom aquarium. So while he’s not building tanks every day like he used to, he hasn’t totally left the industry either. Think of it as semi-retirement from fish, with a side of marinara.
Redneck Is Still Waist-Deep in Aquariums
If there’s one person from the Tanked crew who stayed completely loyal to the aquarium life, it’s Robert “Robbie Redneck” Christlieb.
Remember him? The bearded, soft-spoken marine tech who could install plumbing in his sleep and somehow always looked vaguely concerned? Yeah, that guy is now a Senior Operations Specialist at Ocean Gallery USA, a custom aquarium company based in El Paso, Texas.
Ocean Gallery doesn’t just employ Redneck, they actually promote the fact that he’s on their team. It’s a smart move, considering his Tanked fame basically makes him the most recognizable aquarium technician in America. For fans still wondering what Redneck from Tanked is doing now, the answer is simple: exactly what he’s always done, just for a different company.
And he’s not alone. Ocean Gallery also picked up other former ATM specialists, so there’s a little piece of the Tanked legacy alive and well in Texas.
The Rest of the Crew Moved On
Not everyone stayed in the aquarium business, and honestly, can you blame them?
Agnes Went Behind the Camera
Agnes Wilczynski, the office manager who somehow kept the chaos at ATM from spiraling into total anarchy, is now working in television production as an independent contractor. She went from managing the office on a reality show to actually helping produce reality shows.
It’s a logical career evolution, and honestly, after dealing with Wayde and Brett’s antics for 15 seasons, she probably knows more about TV production than half the people with fancy titles. Check out what happened to Agnes from Tanked for the full story.
Heather King Stepped Away Entirely
Heather King, who handled accounting and office operations while also being married to Wayde, has kept a pretty low profile since her divorce. She’s stepped away from both the aquarium industry and public-facing business ventures, which makes sense given how messy things got at the end of the show.
The General Earned His Retirement
Irwin “The General” Raymer, Brett’s dad and the guy who somehow managed to keep the business side of ATM functioning despite the constant chaos, has largely retired. He pops up at events now and then, but for the most part, he’s done with the daily grind.
After spending years managing finances while his son and son-in-law built aquariums shaped like slot machines, the man earned his rest. Fans curious about what happened to The General from Tanked will find that retirement looks good on him.
Are Wayde and Brett Still Friends?
This is the question that still lingers in the minds of Tanked fans everywhere.
Wayde and Brett were brothers-in-law, business partners, and co-stars for over a decade. They built an empire together, argued on camera constantly, and somehow made it work. But when ATM closed and they went their separate ways professionally, people started wondering if the friendship survived.
The short answer? It’s complicated. The long answer involves family dynamics, business disputes, and the kind of behind-the-scenes drama that reality TV rarely shows. If you want the full breakdown, check out whether Wayde King and Brett Raymer are still friends.
The Reality Behind the Reality Show
Looking back, Tanked was peak reality TV absurdity. Every episode followed the same formula: a client with too much money and a wild idea, Wayde and Brett bickering about how to build it, some kind of fabrication crisis, and then a big reveal where everyone acted shocked that the aquarium actually worked.
But how much of it was actually real? That’s a question fans have asked for years, especially after learning about the legal drama behind the Tanked TV show. The truth is somewhere between “totally authentic” and “carefully produced for maximum entertainment value.” Some of the builds were genuine client projects. Others were… let’s just say creatively arranged for television.
And if you ever wondered whether the TV show Tanked was real, the answer is: real fish, real tanks, occasionally real drama, and a whole lot of TV magic holding it all together.
The show’s most memorable moments, like when they cleverly repurposed random objects into aquariums, were genuine feats of engineering and creativity. Whether those builds were practical, sustainable, or even good ideas is a different conversation entirely.
So, Are Any of Them Still in the Aquarium Business?
Yes. Definitively, unquestionably yes.
Wayde King is still designing high-end custom aquariums when he’s not focused on water filtration. Brett Raymer still takes on aquarium projects through his design group when he’s not serving pasta.
And Redneck? He’s out there in El Paso, doing exactly what he’s always done: making sure custom aquariums don’t leak, don’t kill the fish, and actually function the way they’re supposed to.
The original Acrylic Tank Manufacturing is gone. The Las Vegas shop is closed. The TV show is over. But the people who made Tanked what it was are still out there, still building, still designing, still making ridiculously extravagant aquariums for people with more money than sense.
The legacy of Tanked didn’t die when ATM closed. It just moved to different cities, different companies, and in Brett’s case, a completely different industry with better marinara sauce.
