Woman Creates a ‘Star Wars’-Themed Fish Tank That Looks Like an Underwater Galactic Forest

During the Clone Wars of the Star Wars franchise, the AT-AT combat vehicle (All Terrain Armored Transport), was used by the Imperial forces. The giant, four-legged mechanical beast was a pretty powerful weapon, but aquarium enthusiast Carly Thompson imagines a reality where they’ve met their demise. She created a Star Wars themed aquarium, where the remains of an AT-AT walker is “swimming with the fishes”—literally.

The idea for the the sci-fi-inspired tank came when Thompson’s brother bought her an AT-AT aquarium decoration for Christmas. At first, she wasn’t sure about using it, as she usually doesn’t use artificial elements in her aquariums. However, she decided to try something new. “I knew that I wanted it to look as natural as possible,” Thompson tells My Modern Met. “I recalled the map Kashyyk in the video game Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. That and the Moon of Endor from the Star Wars movies were my inspiration for this tank.”

It took Thompson around three days to design and put together the fish tank. She used a common aquarium wood called cholla to create the tall, burly tree trunks. She then used java moss and a three-leaf seed to create the mossy jungle appearance. Once the aquarium was finished, all that was left to do was decide on which fish will live inside the underwater world.

“The marine life that I chose to put into this tank was a very difficult decision,” Thompson reveals. “I wanted neon tetras because I felt the bright blue and red colors would not only represent a lightsaber appearance, but they would also give a good pop of color.” However, Thompson ended up falling in love with ember tetras and decided to put them in the tank instead. “Their fiery red color and the overall natural behavior of these fish are what made me want them. I purchased five of them at my local pet store and stocked my tank,” she says. “These fish were so curious and active in the tank.”

After doing further research into the species, Thompson decided the ember tetras would be happier in her larger, thirty-gallon tank. She replaced them with red cherry shrimp and Ramshorn snails, who seem to be thriving in their galactic forest. Thompson says, “I love this tank, and I never expected everyone to love it as much as I do.”