History Main / ExplodingFishTanks

* At the start of the final shootout in ''Film/ABetterTomorrow 2'', a grenade flung by Ho kills several {{mooks}}... and blows up a tank full of goldfish.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': In "[[Recap/TheNewBatmanAdventuresE21MadLove Mad Love]]", Batman deflects the Joker's shot at him into a [[SharkPool piranha tank]], creating a flood that knocked Joker down and gave Batman the chance to free himself.

In action movies, [[ItsGoingDown 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.

[[folder:Advertising]]
* Played for laughs in this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK6usjZ-WcA Yellow Pages commercial.]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In an episode of ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' set at an aquarium, the Water card-spirit invades and causes just the sort of damage you'd expect.
[[/folder]]

* Subverted in ''Film/Aquaman2018''. On a field trip to an aquarium, two of Arthur's classmates start picking on him. The fish and other sea-animals in the giant tank behind Arthur react - including a great white shark that starts ramming the tank wall to frighten the bullies. [[OminousCrack The tank cracks]], but Arthur uses his telepathy to stop the shark before it can deliver the final blow.

* In an issue of ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'', Sue Richards is visiting the self-exiled Prince Namor at his film studio when he's attacked by the android Retrievers of Atlantis. After the androids nearly kill Namor by drying him out, Sue remembers that one wall of the studio adjoins Namor's luxurious office... and just on the office side of that wall is a gigantic fish tank. As you might guess, the wall isn't long for this world, neither is the tank, and the water therein is put to good use reviving Namor so he can fight the androids.
* ComicBook/ThePunisher once had to deal with a druglord who kept a SharkPool with a big glass wall behind his desk. You have all of three guesses as to how the druglord, the glass and the shark ended up at the end of the story.
* When ComicBook/RichardDragon, Bronze Tiger and ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} attack the Circle of Six at a Bludhaven restaurant the prominent fish tank seems like it's going to miraculously survive the fight, until some gangsters looking for retribution against the Circle arrive and shoot the place up, blowing the fish tank to bits and ensuring the rest of the fight takes place on a slippery wet floor covered with dead and dying fish.
* ''ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}}'': In the tenth issue's ComicBook/ZeroHourCrisisInTime tie in Tim and a time displaced young [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] chase a jewel thief into the Gotham Aquarium where the crook proceeds to shoot the large shark tank when the boys are next to it causing the glass to groan and then give-way, filling the room with water and sharks.
* ''ComicBook/SheHulk'': One issue had She-Hulk get attacked by the Absorbing Man by a large fishtank in the Mall of America. He deliberately shattered the aquarium so he could touch the shark in it to turn himself into a SharkMan. This proved to be a stupid move on his part since She-Hulk immediately pointed out that he was standing in ankle-deep water, and he promptly turned into water by reflex and flowed own a nearby drain.

* ''Film/ABetterTomorrow'': In the sequel, ''A Better Tomorrow 2'', at the start of the final shootout a grenade flung by Ho kills several mooks... and blows up a tank full of goldfish.
* Subverted in ''Film/Aquaman2018'': On a field trip to an aquarium, two of Arthur's classmates start picking on him. The fish and other sea-animals in the giant tank behind Arthur react - including a great white shark that starts ramming the tank wall to frighten the bullies. [[OminousCrack The tank cracks]], but Arthur uses his telepathy to stop the shark before it can deliver the final blow.

* The 1944 noir ''Film/ExperimentPerilous'' was probably the TropeCodifier, as it has a climatic fistfight and gun battle that smashes several aquariums.

* Bizarrely ''averted'' in ''Film/{{Gigli}}'': a man is shot in the head with a large enough caliber gun to blow a chunk of brain out the back of his skull-- and the chunk of brain lands in the undamaged fishtank behind him, leading to a [[NauseaFuel lovely]] shot of fish nibbling at the thinkymeat.

** ''Film/{{Octopussy}}''. Octopussy is shown feeding her poisonous blue-ring octopus early in the film. Later, the aquarium is destroyed when Film/JamesBond rams an Indian assassin's head into it (and said assassin ends up with the octopus wrapped around his face and dies as a result).

* ''Film/LethalWeapon2''. Martin Riggs breaks into the office of Arjen Rudd, Minister of Diplomatic Affairs for the South African Consulate. While waving his gun at Rudd and his goons, Riggs pretends to be debating who to shoot, but shoots the fishtank instead and strolls off while Rudd's goons are struggling to pick up the slippery fish.
* Ethan Hunt blows up the floor-to-ceiling aquariums in a restaurant as cover for his escape in ''[[Film/MissionImpossible1996 Mission: Impossible]]''.

* In ''Film/{{Push}}'', the [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Pop Family's]] first encounter with Nick and Cassie. The Bleeders' screams first make the fish ''inside'' the tanks burst, and then the tanks themselves explode.
* Happens in ''[[Film/RushHour Rush Hour 2]]''.
** And earlier, in ''Police Story 4: First Strike''.
* In the 2008 ''Film/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.
* Several shots are enough to crack an aquarium at a zoo in ''Film/{{Eraser}}'', which then explodes, covering the bad guys with water...And alligators.
* In the original ''Film/TotalRecall1990'', 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.
** As well as a DescriptionCut to the people in the red light district who've had their air cut off for being members of LaResistance.

* What did you think was going to happen in ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' when you put Percy in an aquarium exhibit?
* Early on in ''[[Literature/{{Illuminatus}} The Illuminatus Trilogy]]'' an office building gets destroyed along with a whole shop full of rare fish.
* Happens with some very large fish tanks when [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry]] [[DestructiveSavior Dresden]] gets into a fight with some Denarians at an aquarium in ''Literature/SmallFavor''.
* ''[[Literature/AlexRider Stormbreaker]]'': One of the features of [[BigBad Herod Sayle's]] house is an enormous aquarium containing a Portuguese man-o'-war. One of Sayle's CoDragons later dumps Alex into the tank with the intention of him either drowning or being stung to death, but he blows the aquarium up from inside with some explosive gel, and the man-o'-war [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard collides with and kills the Dragon in the chaos that follows]].

* ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'': In The Tale of the Curious Camera, this happens to a fish tank when photographed with the titular camera.
* A killer on ''Series/CriminalMinds'' was basically a SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome version of a mad scientist, who’s trying to cure diseases with jellyfish DNA in procedures that end up killing people. His jellyfish tanks are shot in the showdown so that the agents are seen wading through water and dead jellyfish to catch him.

** Averted in "Bad Beat," which uses one of the RedHerring flashbacks that [[PoliceProcedural police procedurals]] are so fond of. While Danny is questioning a suspect in her home, she is standing beside a fish tank. The "flashback" shows her holding the victim's head underwater in it. Not only is she not the killer, the tank survives the episode as well.

* ''Series/FallingSkies'' has an alien version: Ben shoots out a tank of PuppeteerParasite harnesses, causing the ExplodingFishTanks effect.
* A narcissistic killer on one of the ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' programs poisoned his tank full of exotic saltwater fish when he fled his apartment, presumably so nobody else could ever enjoy having them.
* It was a very bad idea to even think of damaging Sipowicz's fish tank in the squad room of ''Series/NYPDBlue''. So you can imagine his reaction when it was summarily taken out by a stray bullet from a rampaging perp.
* This happened to Catherine Weaver's aquarium in ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles''. It also revealed that [[spoiler: her pet eel was a liquid metal construct, presumably a part of herself detached and used to keep an eye on her office when she wasn't there.]]
* In ''Series/TheXFiles'', {{Agent Mulder}}'s fish tank never took any damage. The fish ''inside'' the tank, on the other hand...
** In another episode, a man who is drowned in his own fish tank reincarnates as a creepy, telekinetic little girl who, after taking revenge on her murderers, telekinetically shatters the same fish tank.

* The music video for Stupify by Music/{{Disturbed}} has a recurring fish globe explode for no reason. Guitarist Dan Donegan mentions that they had a stunt-fish for different scenes.
* The music video for "21 Guns" by Music/GreenDay has one in it.

* In the [[{{Roofhopping}} Kowloon level]] of ''VideoGame/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.
* Occurs in ''VideoGame/EnslavedOdysseyToTheWest,'' and is actually used as symbolism/foreshadowing.
* Can be done at Lee Hong's restaurant in ''VideoGame/HitmanCodename47'', although it will attract plenty of guards.

* The video game series, ''VideoGame/TheIncredibleMachine'', includes aquarium objects. With few exceptions, if any moving object (such as a cat or a tennis ball) just touches one, the aquarium will [[MadeOfExplodium explode spectacularly]].
* The intro of ''[[VideoGame/JakAndDaxter Jak X]]'' has Jak crashing through a fishtank with a car.
* Happens during the shootout in [[spoiler:the Chinese]] restaurant in ''VideoGame/MafiaII''. The setup cutscene prominently features a large aquarium between the restaurant's entrance and main dining area. Before control has even been fully returned to the player, [[spoiler:the Triad]] gangsters have already completely wrecked it.
* In the Citadel DLC for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', a firefight breaks out at an upscale sushi restaurant with an aquarium built into the floor. Predictably, the fish tank does not survive the encounter. ''Nobody'' lets Shepard forget this:
-->'''Miranda''' "Oh, they shut down my favorite sushi place."\\
'''Shepard''': "That's... a shame."\\
(''{{Beat}}'')\\
'''Miranda''': "Shepard, you didn't..."\\
'''Shepard''': "I did. Fell right through the fish tank."\\
'''Miranda:''' "And how did you manage ''that?''"\\
'''Shepard:''' "It... exploded."

* In ''VideoGame/SleepingDogs2012'', aquariums are one of the environmental hazards you can use to dispatch you enemies. After breaking one you can [[ImprobableWeaponUser pick up a fish and use it as a weapon.]]

-->"Please avoid breaking the glass, as it is the only thing between you and ten million gallons of ''freezing wet death''."
* Happens when you destroy ''the entire aquarium'' in ''[[VideoGame/TheSpellcastingSeries Spellcasting 301]]''.
* The player can do that in the first ''VideoGame/SplinterCell''.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In a ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' on-line serial, Zaktan and the tank he's in are blown up by a sonic wave. He survives by [[WormThatWalks dispersing the creatures that make up his body into the air]].
[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': In "Mad Love", Batman deflects the Joker's shot at him into a [[SharkPool piranha tank]], creating a flood that knocked Joker down and gave Batman the chance to free himself.
* The comic version occurs in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Brother from the Same Planet" when Homer and Bart's 'bigger brother' Tom have a brawl in the aquarium. After the tank is shattered, they use the starfish as shuriken.

* In ''Film/{{Push}}'', the [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Pop Family's]] first encounter with Nick and Cassie. The [[MakeMeWannaShout Bleeders' screams]] first make the fish ''inside'' the tanks burst, and then the tanks themselves explode.

* In ''VideoGame/SleepingDogs'' aquariums are one of the environmental hazards you can use to dispatch you enemies. After breaking one you can [[ImprobableWeaponUser pick up a fish and use it as a weapon.]]

* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': In the tenth issue's ComicBook/ZeroHourCrisisInTime tie in Tim and a time displaced young [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] chase a jewel thief into the Gotham Aquarium where the crook proceeds to shoot the large shark tank when the boys are next to it causing the glass to groan and then give-way, filling the room with water and sharks.

** ''Film/{{Octopussy}}''. Octopussy is shown feeding her poisonous blue-ring octopus early in the film. Later, the aquarium is destroyed when Film/JamesBond rams an assassin's head into it (and said assassin ends up with the octopus wrapped around his face).

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

* The 1944 noir ''Film/ExperimentPerilous'' was probably the TropeCodifier, as it has a climatic fistfight and gun battle that smashes several aquariums.

* Inverted in ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'': while [[spoiler:Strange's time-reversal spell]] is cleaning up the damage done by Kaecilius and his Zealots in Hong Kong, one of the Zealots gets caught in a flood of water that is going back where it came from. "Where it came from" is [[spoiler:a huge fish tank in the window of an aquarium store. The water pours back into the tank as the tank itself reassembles, trapping the Zealot inside]].

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

In action movies, [[ChekhovsGun 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. May start with an OminousCrack. Compare OpeningTheFloodGates. For the outdoor version, see BigDamPlot.

* Martin Riggs intentionally shoots the aquarium in the office of Arjen Rudd, Minister of Diplomatic Affairs for the South African Consulate, ''Film/LethalWeapon2''.

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

* Averted in ''Film/Aquaman2018'': On a field trip to an aquarium, two bullying schoolmates start picking on schoolboy Arthur. The fish and other sea-animals in the giant tank behind Arthur react - including a great white shark that starts ramming the tank wall to frighten the bullies. [[OminousCrack The tank cracks]], but Arthur uses his telepathy to stop the shark before it can deliver the final blow.

* In the Citadel DLC for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', a firefight breaks out at a sushi restaurant. Predictably, the fish tank does not survive the encounter. ''Nobody'' lets Shepard forget this:

[[quoteright:320:[[Film/MissionImpossible https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mission-Impossible_-Aquarium-Scene_616.jpg]]]]

* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': In the tenth issue's ComicBook/ZeroHour tie in Tim and a time displaced young [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] chase a jewel thief into the Gotham Aquarium where the crook proceeds to shoot the large shark tank when the boys are next to it causing the glass to groan and then give-way, filling the room with water and sharks.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

[[folder:{{Film}}]]

* The destruction of a very large (and thus very expensive) aquarium is the driving force behind the plot of ''Film/DeuceBigalowMaleGigolo'', a rare comedy example.
* In the original ''Film/TotalRecall1990'', 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.
** As well as a DescriptionCut to the people in the red light district who've had their air cut off for being members of LaResistance.
* ''Film/{{Octopussy}}''. Octopussy is shown feeding her poisonous blue-ring octopus early in the film. Later, the aquarium is destroyed when Film/JamesBond rams an assassin's head into it (and said assassin ends up with the octopus wrapped around his face).
** Done in ''Film/LicenceToKill'' in a scene appropriated from [[Literature/JamesBond the novel]] ''Literature/LiveAndLetDie'' which was too cool to not be filmed.

* Bizarrely ''averted'' in ''Film/{{Gigli}}'': a man is shot in the head with a large enough caliber gun to blow a chunk of brain out the back of his skull-- and the chunk of brain lands in the undamaged fishtank behind him, leading to a [[NauseaFuel lovely]] shot of fish nibbling at the thinkymeat.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}'', Buster equips the Moon Theater with a hastily built glass stage and fills it with bioluminescent squids to create a living light display. This becomes his downfall, for when the glass breaks, it floods the theater and [[spoiler:causes the already dilapidated building to collapse.]]
* ''Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu'' features an underground fighting ring with a Magikarp in a fish tank at one point. It gets shattered when a pair of Loudred end up inhaling some [[PsychoSerum R]] and start spewing out incredibly loud dubstep.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

* Don't forget the aquarium with the huge Portuguese Man-of-War in ''[[Literature/AlexRider Stormbreaker]]''.
* Happens with some very large fish tanks when [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry]] [[DestructiveSavior Dresden]] gets into a fight with some Denarians at an aquarium in ''Literature/SmallFavor''.

* Early on in [[Literature/{{Illuminatus}} The Illuminatus Trilogy]] an office building gets destroyed along with a whole shop full of rare fish.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* In ''Series/TheXFiles'', {{Agent Mulder}}'s fish tank never took any damage. The fish ''inside'' the tank, on the other hand...
** In another episode, a man who is drowned in his own fish tank reincarnates as a creepy, telekinetic little girl who, after taking revenge on her murderers, telekinetically shatters the same fish tank.
* This happened to Catherine Weaver's aquarium in ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles''. It also revealed that [[spoiler: her pet eel was a liquid metal construct, presumably a part of herself detached and used to keep an eye on her office when she wasn't there.]]
* A narcissistic killer on one of the ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' programs poisoned his tank full of exotic saltwater fish when he fled his apartment, presumably so nobody else could ever enjoy having them.
* It was a very bad idea to even think of damaging Sipowicz's fish tank in the squad room of ''Series/NYPDBlue''. So you can imagine his reaction when it was summarily taken out by a stray bullet from a rampaging perp.

* ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'': In The Tale of the Curious Camera, this happens to a fish tank when photographed with the titular camera.
* ''Series/TheDefenders2017'': During the fight in the Royal Dragon, automatic gunfire from one of the Hand's henchmen naturally destroys a fish tank.
* A killer on ‘’Series/CriminalMinds’’ was basically a SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome version of a mad scientist, who’s trying to cure diseases with jellyfish DNA in procedures that end up killing people. His jellyfish tanks are shot in the showdown so that the agents are seen wading through water and dead jellyfish to catch him.

[[folder:MusicVideos]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* The player can do that in the first ''VideoGame/SplinterCell''.
* In the [[{{Roofhopping}} Kowloon level]] of ''VideoGame/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.
* ''VideoGame/{{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.
* Occurs in ''VideoGame/EnslavedOdysseyToTheWest,'' and is actually used as symbolism/foreshadowing.
* Happens when you destroy ''the entire aquarium'' in ''[[VideoGame/TheSpellcastingSeries Spellcasting 301]]''.
* In ''VideoGame/SleepingDogs'' aquariums are one of the environmental hazards you can use to dispatch you enemies. After breaking one you can [[ImprobableWeaponUser pick up a fish and use it as a weapon.]]
* In one of the chapters in ''VideoGame/ProjectEden'', there is a floor to ceiling aquarium containing a handful of fish, blocking the characters' way and there is no way around it other than shooting it down. The low-polygon fish flop around on the floor for a while and can explode with a greenish spatter (like mutant enemies in the game) when shot.

* Happens during the shootout in [[spoiler:the Chinese]] restaurant in ''VideoGame/MafiaII''. The setup cutscene prominently features a large aquarium between the restaurant's entrance and main dining area. Before control has even been fully returned to the player, [[spoiler:the Triad]] gangsters have already completely wrecked it.

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': In "Mad Love", Batman deflects the Joker's shot at him into a [[SharkPool piranha tank]], creating a flood that knocked Joker down and gave Batman the chance to free himself.

* A killer on ‘’Series/CriminalMinds’’ was basically a RealityEnsues version of a mad scientist, who’s trying to cure diseases with jellyfish DNA in procedures that end up killing people. His jellyfish tanks are shot in the showdown so that the agents are seen wading through water and dead jellyfish to catch him.