History Main / ExplodingFishTanks

* In ''TotalRecall'', DiabolicalMastermind Vilos Cohaagen has an aquarium in his office. After he is forced to give the order to kill his brainwashed undercover best friend, he angrily kicks over the the aquarium. The shot of the fish gasping for air was a foreshadowing of the scene later in the movie where several characters are ejected onto the airless surface of Mars without pressure suits.
* ''{{Octopussy}}''. Octopussy is shown feeding her poisonous blue-ring octopus early in the film. Later, the aquarium is destroyed when JamesBond rams an assassin's head into it (and said assassin ends up with the octopus wrapped around his face).
* Done in ''LicenceToKill'' in a scene appropriated from [[Literature/JamesBond the novel]] ''Literature/LiveAndLetDie'' which was too cool to not be filmed.

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* ''{{Zork}} II'' hides a transparent object in a fish tank holding a sea serpent. The game makes sure you feel bad about the serpent dying in the open air once you break the tank.

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* In the [[{{Roofhopping}} Kowloon level]] of ''CallOfDutyBlackOps'', there is a room (apparently a kitchen) in one of the buildings, with 3 fishtanks. Considering the area is swarming with [[EliteMooks Spetsnaz]], it is extremely likely the at least 1 tank will be shattered in the fighting.

* The intro movie in ''[[JakAndDaxter Jak X]]''.

* In the 2008 ''SpeedRacer'' movie, the mob boss's piranha tank gets a single bullet hole, forcing one of the mobster underlings to sacrifice a finger to plug the hole.

* Don't forget the aquarium with the huge Portuguese Man-of-War in ''[[AlexRider Stormbreaker]]''.

* Done in ''LicenceToKill'' in a scene appropriated from [[Literature/JamesBond the novel]] ''LiveAndLetDie'' which was too cool to not be filmed.

* The music video for Stupify by {{Disturbed}} has a recurring fish globe explode for no reason. Guitarist Dan Donegan mentions that they had a stunt-fish for different scenes.

* A narcisstic killer on one of the ''LawAndOrder'' programs poisoned his tank full of exotic saltwater fish when he fled his apartment, presumably so nobody else could ever enjoy having them.

* Several shots are enough to crack an aquarium at a zoo in ''Erasor'', which then explodes, covering the bad guys with water… And alligators.

* Occurs in ''EnslavedOdysseyToTheWest'' and is actually used as symbolism/foreshadowing.

* Ethan Hunt blows up the floor-to-ceiling aquariums in a restaurant as cover for his escape in ''MissionImpossible''.

* ''{{Octopussy}}''. Octopussy is shown feeding her poisonous blue-ring octopus early in the film. Later, the aquarium is destroyed when Bond rams an assassin's head into it (and said assassin ends up with the octopus wrapped around his face).
* Done in ''LicenceToKill'' in a scene appropriated from the novel "Live and Let Die" which was too cool to not be filmed.

* The music video for 21 Guns by {{Green Day}} has one in it

* The player can do that in the first SplinterCell.
* In the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Roofhopping Kowloon level]] of CallOfDutyBlackOps, there is a room (apparently a kitchen) in one of the buildings, with 3 fishtanks. Considering the area is swarming with [[EliteMooks Spetsnaz]], it is extremely likely the at least 1 tank will be shattered in the fighting.
* {{Zork}} II hides a transparent object in a fish tank holding a sea serpent. The game makes sure you feel bad about the serpent dying in the open air once you break the tank.

In action movies, it has become almost mandatory that, if an aquarium is shown at any point, the aquarium will inevitably be destroyed, spilling the water and all the poor fish it contains out onto the floor. Sometimes this is the result of collateral damage, the fish tank was merely in the way, and sometimes the destruction of the tank is intentional, with the fish - always some deadly and often poisonous species - being used as weapons themselves.

Occasionally PlayedForLaughs in comedies, but this is rare.

In action movies, it has become almost manadatory that, if an aquarium is shown at any point, the aquarium will inevitably be destroyed, spilling the water and all the poor fish it contains out onto the floor. Sometimes this is the result of collateral damage, the fish tank was merely in the way, and sometimes the destruction of the tank is intentional, with the fish - always some deadly and often poisonous species - being used as weapons themselves.

The indoor equivalent of the BigDamPlot. In action movies, its become almost de rigueur that, if an aquarium is shown at any point, the aquarium will inevitably be destroyed (spilling the water and all the poor fish it contains out onto the floor). Sometimes this is the result of collateral damage (the fish tank was merely in the way), and sometimes the destruction of the tank is intentional, sometimes with the fish - always some deadly and often poisonous species - being used as weapons themselves.

In action movies, its become almost de rigueur that, if an aquarium is shown at any point, the aquarium will inevitably be destroyed (spilling the water and all the poor fish it contains out onto the floor). Sometimes this is the result of collateral damage (the fishtank was merely in the way), and sometimes the destruction of the tank is intentional, sometimes with the fish - always some deadly and often poisonous species - being used as weapons themselves.

* In the 2006 ''SpeedRacer'' movie, the mob boss's piranha tank gets a single bullet hole, forcing one of the mobster underlings to sacrifice a finger to plug the hole.

* This happened to Catherine Weaver's aquarium in ''TheSarahConnorChronicles''.
* A narcisstic killer on one of the ''LawAndOrder'' programs poisoned his tankfull of exotic saltwater fish when he fled his apartment, presumably so nobody else could ever enjoy having them.