Tanked -
“Tanked” was the only bar in a three-block radius that opened before 10 a.m. It was a dim, sticky-floored haven for off-duty carnies and day-drinking plumbers. Behind the bar, wiping a glass with a rag that was dirtier than the glass, was Karma.
If you have ever walked into a restaurant, hotel lobby, or dental office and stopped dead in your tracks to stare at a 500-gallon aquarium containing a Batman statue, a stingray, and a man in a wetsuit waving back at you, you have witnessed the cultural phenomenon known as Tanked
Back at the Crustacean Sensation, the rain had stopped. A weak sunbeam pierced the clouds and illuminated Reginald’s tank, now back in its place of honor. Reginald was busy pushing a pebble into the exact center of his castle courtyard. A masterpiece in progress. “Tanked” was the only bar in a three-block
By 2015, was Animal Planet’s highest-rated series. The keyword became synonymous with "luxury aquarium." If you have ever walked into a restaurant,
: Some long-term aquarium enthusiasts criticized the show for prioritizing aesthetics over long-term fish health, as massive tanks were often "stocked" immediately for TV reveals .
Karma was six-foot-five, shaved-headed, and had a sleeve tattoo of a koi fish fighting an octopus. She looked like she could snap a pool cue in half with her eyebrows.
Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM) still operates in Las Vegas. Wayde and Brett continue to build custom tanks for private clients, though without the reality TV crew. The show reruns circulate on Discovery+ and MAX, introducing a new generation of viewers to the absurdity of 1990s-style reality TV.
