If you are a Tanked fan, you already know that reality TV stars Brett Raymer and Wayde King are “crazy” enough to make a fish tank out of anything. Their ideas for aquariums are not just creative; they are mind-blowing and seem impossible until they actually become a reality.
Some of the most memorable tanks on Tanked were repurposed from ordinary stuff like a washer-dryer or fridge. Read on for all the deets on how Acrylic Tank Manufacturing transformed household items into amazing aquariums.
The Washer-Dryer Tank
In a city where residents are used to spectacular sights, impressing them is a challenging feat. To draw potential customers’ attention, Leise and Bruce Gilliat knew they had to come up with extraordinary ideas for their chain of Laundromats known as the Las Vegas Coin Laundry.
So when the opportunity came to turn their coin-operated washer-dryer into a live fish tank, the business owners jumped at it.
In the Tanked episode titled Spin Cycle Spec-Tank-ular, Brett, Wayde, and their team at ATM began by removing the inner parts of the stacked washer-dryer. They then installed the aquarium in the upper part, replacing the dryer. The idea to cut the sides of the unit was excellent as it offers spectacular views of marine life.
The lower part of the unit, which would typically hold the washer, contains the fish tank’s support system and is concealed by a bubbler. As you might already guess, the bubbler is responsible for producing the bubbles.
Installing a fish tank in a laundromat is one challenging task. Aquariums need consistent water changes, but with laundry carts and children already a constant feature at the laundromat, installing hoses and pumps across the floor would be impractical.
The solution, according to ATM, was to install an easy, practical, and safe water change system in the laundromat’s back room. The aquatic installation also features a security gate that lowers for a safe distance between the public and the tank.
Brett and Wayde filled the aquarium with saltwater fish, including Heniochus, Pinktail Trigger, and Raccoon Butterfly Fish, among other exotic species.
The Slot Machine Tank
A slot machine serves only one purpose, right? Well, not in the minds of aquarium aficionados Wayde and Brett.
When the owner of Vegas Weddings, a Casino wedding chapel business, Cliff Evarts, reached out to the guys at ATM, he knew they’d be able to pull off a crazy idea for an aquarium, and they did!
Evart’s vision was a fish tank that would embody the excitement and nostalgia of a casino-themed Las Vegas wedding.
The end result was a custom slot machine-themed aquarium under which couples could get married. Some cool features Wayde and Brett installed inside the fish tank include Las Vegas-style neon lights and about 600 fluorescent Glofish, so when the lights are off, the fish glow and light up the aquarium.
Did you know that Glofish are some of the first genetically modified animals to gain popularity as pets?
In addition to the white kissing Glofish (gouramis), they installed a pull handle that lights up with the words JUST MARRIED every time you pull it. Well, what’s more, old school in Las Vegas than getting married under a slot machine.
So nostalgic and romantic was the slot-machine aquarium that Wayde and his then-wife, Heather, renewed their vows for their 15th anniversary.
The Fridge Tank
Last but not least on the list is the Fridge Tank project, in which Brett and Wayde really outdid themselves. Who would have imagined that a double-door fridge could be repurposed into a superb aquarium?
This project’s client was Plesser’s Appliance, an electronics retailer that wanted to put new meaning into getting tanked.
The guys at ATM took a full-sized fridge, built acrylic windows between the fridge’s interior and exterior compartments and filled the void in between with salt water and colourful exotic fish,
As owner Howard rightfully said at the time, “the Plesser fridge aquarium is probably the only one in the world, the only one in existence.”
The lower freezer unit is where the fish tank pump is installed and serves as the aquarium’s support system.
The aquarium is basically installed inside the fridge’s doors, where the front part of each door is replaced with acrylic windows giving spectacular views of the colourful fish. What’s interesting is that you can see the fridge’s interior with all its contents through the acrylic windows.
Tanked no longer graces our TV screens. But what’s for sure is that Brett, Wayde and their team at ATM opened our minds to the endless possibilities that could be tapped into when building fish tanks.
Let’s be honest; few of us mere mortals would have thought that a stacked washer-dryer unit, fridge, or even a good old slot machine could be transformed into a sight to behold in the form of an inbuilt aquarium stocked with all sorts of colourful marine life. But, Tanked showed us that it is indeed possible!
Oh, did you know that even drum sets can be made into aquariums?
