Ep 1. Sweet Memories

Season 5 of the popular aquarium-based reality show, Tanked, kicks off with an emotional first episode entitled 'Sweet Memories'. The episode kicks off with the owners of a highly renowned bakery requesting a one-of-a-kind cake-themed aquarium for their shop. Brett Raymer and Wayde King, the creative masterminds of the Las Vegas based acrylic tank manufacturing company, Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM), are tasked with creating a sweet aquarium with which the customers can fall in love.

The 45,000-gallon tank is to be built as part of a Cupcake War event that takes place in Las Vegas, which makes the challenge even tougher for the duo. The chefs involved in Cupcake War event will be cheered on by their fellow colleagues, who, we see, are no less randy. At the grand opening of the tank installation, we see an amazing concert with a stunning rendition of 'Sweet Memories' by the bakery's lead baker, who is part of the band. It sets the mood for an emotional episode of challenges as Brett and Wayde carry on with the task at hand.

The Sweet Memories tank is expected to be a centerpiece installation where people can marvel and admire while also indulging in sweet treats and delicacies. The initial concept for the tank is straightforward, a colorful tail made of cupcakes and other pâtissier-themed decorations, with a tall and awe-inspiring jelly bean structure standing in the middle of the tank. The tank's design is so complex that it takes the team a good deal of planning, discussion, and building different prototypes before finalizing one which can hold the weight and nature of the live stock that will be living in the tank.

The Sweet Memories tank, as the name suggests, is all about making sweet memories. ATM has provided a creative take on the theme with a nontraditional way to present live stock in the tank; this is achieved by situating and designing the tank frames in such a way to give the sweet delicacy a 360-degree view. The sweet live stock in the tank comprises five different fish species, all with different requirements to keep happy and healthy. At the same time, they are a very cohesive and easy-to-maintain bunch.

We see the challenges Brett and Wayde face; the enormous amount of piping for the tank provides the team with unprecedented difficulties. In addition, the sheer weight of the tank (when filled with water) is no mean feat to carry and place, which makes the installation a challenging task to complete.

For the Sweet Memories tank to work seamlessly, a bespoke filtration system has to be built. Brett and Wayde are no strangers to creating custom filtration systems, but the tank's depth and complexity pose all sorts of challenges that the team has to overcome. They craft a once-in-a-lifetime jelly bean-inspired filtration system that is functional and, like the tank itself, is a work of art.

As the episode unfolds, we see the team overcome various other challenges, such as building a pastry shop framework for the tank to sit on and aquascaping the live stock inside the tank. The final result, though, was spectacular, as the tank was completed in unique and remarkable fashion. The Sweet Memories tank became a spectacle and attraction in its own right, and the Cupcake War competition was an excellent platform to showcase the culinary-themed artwork.

All in all, the first episode of Tanked season 5, 'Sweet Memories,' is an emotional and inspiring one. We see Brett and Wayde face multiple obstacles in bringing the vision of their client to life, but they ultimately come up with an aquarium that delights everyone, from chefs to customers alike. The Sweet Memories tank is an awe-inspiring work of art and engineering that is nothing less than a sweet memory in itself.