Tanked Jr. Review: A DIY Aquarium Enthusiast’s Perspective on the Next Generation of Aquatic Imagination
When Animal Planet’s Tanked first aired back in 2011, it splashed into the hearts of hobbyists. It also captured the attention of casual viewers with its massive, extravagant, and often borderline absurd custom aquarium builds. For a time, it was the undisputed king of televised aquatic art. The show highlighted everything from pinball machine tanks to telephone booth aquariums. But as a DIY aquarist and aquascaping enthusiast, I always watched it with a mix of admiration and skepticism. The craftsmanship was undeniably high-end. Yet, the show never spoke to the grassroots aquarium keeper. This person builds their own backgrounds. They grow their own moss walls. They re-use old driftwood with care and purpose.
Enter Tanked Jr., the spinoff. It promised to capture the energy of the original. The tone shifts to something a little more grounded and a lot more relatable. The show is billed for “young aquarists and future fishkeepers.” It also offers a surprising amount of value for the adult DIY crowd.
This review will dive deep into Tanked Jr., examining its format, themes, educational value, production quality, and most importantly—how it resonates with the DIY aquarium community.
1. Format and Tone: From Flash to Foundation
Tanked Jr. was a cleverly reformatted version of its predecessor. While the original was driven by high-budget spectacle, celebrity clients, and dramatic reveals, Tanked Jr. pares things down to the basics. Each episode follows a small team of young aquarium builders. They are typically between the ages of 10 and 16. The builders conceptualize, design, and construct modest but creative aquariums for friends, family, classrooms, or community centers.
The builds are scaled appropriately. We’re seeing 20- to 55-gallon setups. They are made with accessible materials and common tools. There is a huge emphasis on learning and participation. And honestly? It’s refreshing.
We’ve spent years building DIY sponge filters or crafting lava rock caves. Finally, this show feels included in our world. We sketched out foam-and-concrete backgrounds in our garages. We feel connected to it. It is not just a fantasy land for millionaires.
2. Build Philosophy: Educational and Approachable
What really sets Tanked Jr. apart is its commitment to education through creation. Each episode provides entertainment mixed with solid fundamentals. It gives the young builders space to think critically about everything from filtration to fish compatibility.
I was especially impressed with how the show handles biological cycling. One standout episode titled “The Goldfish Gauntlet” features a group of siblings building a tank for a local pet rescue. One of them suggests adding fancy goldfish right away. The mentor figure—a professional aquarist named Maya—pauses the build. She leads a five-minute segment on the nitrogen cycle with hand-drawn diagrams. It includes a surprisingly nuanced discussion on ammonia spikes.
It’s moments like these that elevate the show beyond fluff and into genuinely useful territory. As a DIYer, I appreciated how the kids were shown testing parameters. They were rinsing substrate. They also learned how to mix their own batch of RO water for sensitive species.
And this isn’t just surface-level learning. The show brings in specialists. Some have PhDs in marine biology, and others are self-taught aquascapers. They explain aquascaping concepts, light spectrums, substrate layering, and filtration design.
One episode, “Aquascape Showdown,” featured a beginner-friendly crash course in hardscape theory. It covered golden ratios and focal points. It also taught how to avoid the dreaded “rock pile” look. Honestly, I could’ve used that guidance in my early years.
3. Materials and Tools: Accessible to the DIYer
One of my longstanding gripes with the original Tanked was the sheer inaccessibility of it all. The builds often used industrial materials, CNC-machined acrylic, and tools the average hobbyist couldn’t dream of affording. Tanked Jr. feels like it was shot in a suburban garage. A well-used Dremel tool and a few tubes of silicone were involved.
Throughout the season, we see the young aquarists building:
- DIY background panels with foam and drylok,
- Handmade caves and hides from PVC and epoxy,
- Custom lids from repurposed acrylic sheets,
- LED lighting setups hacked together with USB strips and diffusers,
- And even CO2 systems built from yeast-sugar bottle reactions.
They’re not just assembling kits—they’re building from scratch, making mistakes, and learning from them. That, for me, is the heart of the hobby.
In one particularly inspiring episode titled “The Classroom Biotope,” a group of 12-year-olds constructs a South American blackwater tank. They use boiled almond leaves and organic driftwood. The filter is modified with peat granules. The end result was a warm, tea-colored river scene that I would proudly display in my own fish room.
The show even encourages viewer participation by hosting a DIY challenge at the end of each episode. Kids (and adults!) are encouraged to send photos and videos of their own builds. This has sparked a surprisingly active community on social media. You can see everything from nano aquascapes to betta mansions built from old wine crates.
4. Fish Welfare and Ethics: A Welcome Shift
Another area where Tanked Jr. earns serious respect is its attention to fish welfare and ethical keeping. The original series was often criticized—sometimes rightly—for its impulse additions of large or incompatible fish. But this junior version is clearly aware of those critiques and takes care to model responsible husbandry.
Species are researched carefully, tanks are appropriately cycled, and there’s a strong emphasis on long-term care. Each build includes a follow-up segment weeks later. This segment shows how the tank is maturing and how the fish are doing. It also checks whether any adjustments were needed.
One episode even features a kid making a thoughtful decision. The child chooses not to include a school of tetras because their tank hadn’t cycled long enough. That thoughtful restraint is rare on TV and speaks volumes about the show’s values.
For DIY keepers, this is the programming we can recommend to beginners without hesitation. It reinforces good practices. It discourages the “add fish now, figure it out later” mindset that has plagued the hobby for years.
5. Representation and Inclusion: Aquariums for Everyone
Tanked Jr. also does a stellar job of showcasing diversity—both in its cast and in the communities it highlights. You’ll see builds in city apartments. There are also projects in rural schools and refugee centers. Remarkably, there is an aquarium made entirely from reclaimed materials for a homeless youth shelter.
This inclusive storytelling reminds us that the aquarium hobby isn’t only for those with money or space. It’s for anyone with curiosity and creativity. It also highlights the therapeutic and educational power of aquariums. This message resonates deeply with educators. DIYers often use their tanks as teaching tools.
A particularly touching story came from a young girl in a wheelchair. She designed an accessible tank layout with low-maintenance species. The smart plumbing she used allowed her to do water changes independently. That episode moved me not just as an aquarist, but as a human.
6. Where It Falls Short: Production Polishing Needed
As much as I love Tanked Jr., it’s not without its flaws. The production values, while charmingly modest, can sometimes feel unpolished. Audio levels are inconsistent in a few episodes, and the pacing occasionally drags during the early planning stages.
Some of the humor is aimed at a younger audience. It includes cheesy sound effects and goofy side characters. These elements might test the patience of older viewers. The educational content is excellent. Still, it sometimes moves too quickly over technical details. I wished these details had been fleshed out.
As a DIY aquarist, I’d love to see longer-form content. Maybe bonus episodes or online deep dives could have been created. In this way, we can really get into the nitty-gritty of sump builds, LED wiring, or aquascape competitions. The show touches on these topics. I suspect the appetite for more detailed breakdowns exists.
Final Verdict: A Must-Watch for the DIY Aquarium Community
In an age where flashy content often trumps substance, Tanked Jr. is a much-needed course correction. It’s thoughtful, educational, ethical, and—above all—relatable. This show is a long-overdue recognition of the real soul of the hobby. The show resonates with those of us who find joy in drilling our own bulkheads. It acknowledges individuals who sculpt foam caves by hand. It appreciates watching dwarf corydoras zip through a planted layout.
While it was be geared toward kids, but Tanked Jr. offers a wealth of value for adults too. This is especially true for those who recall building their first tank from the ground up. They remember every mistake. We remember the mistakes and all.
If you’re a DIY enthusiast, don’t overlook this little gem. Look for inspiration, validation, or a wholesome, fish-focused escape from your day. It is “junior” in name, but it’s senior in spirit.
| Season/Episode | Air Date | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| S01-E01 | March 30, 2018 | Robot Tank |
| S01-E02 | March 30, 2018 | TV Tank |
| S01-E03 | March 30, 2018 | Lemonade Tank |
| S01-E04 | March 30, 2018 | Space Tank |
| S01-E05 | March 30, 2018 | Carnival Tank |
| S01-E06 | March 30, 2018 | Rock Star Tank |
| S01-E07 | March 30, 2018 | Cat Tank |
| S01-E08 | March 30, 2018 | Hotel Tank |
| S01-E09 | March 30, 2018 | Safari Tank |
| S01-E10 | March 30, 2018 | Winter Wonderland Tank |
Note: All ten episodes were released March 30, 2018 for streaming