Fish Tank topper; could we make this happen?

Like many others in this hobby, I believe the Walking Dead “Fish Tank” topper would be the icing on the cake for a fantastic machine.

I wonder if any modders could replicate the idea of the fish tank topper or perhaps add a new spin to the design.

I know there is a high demand for the original topper, and I would love to own the original Stern topper; however, I'm not willing to pay what sellers of the original are asking in today’s market.

I'm aware other WD toppers exist, but to me, the Fish Tank topper will always be the ultimate Walking Dead topper.

Please share your thoughts.

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#2 2 years ago

N_W

Neal_W

Pinside member

A third party fish tank topper would be nice!

#3 2 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

A rectangular fish tank and zombie heads off of Ebay is a good start.

LTG : )

#4 2 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/aqueon-standard-glass-aquarium-tank-24-l-x-12-w-x-12-h-429325?cm_mmc=PSH-_-GGL-_-CMB-_-PME-_-PET-_-AQU-_-0-_-PM_GGL_FY21_SBU05_Vendor_BOPIS_LIA-_-0-_-0&gclid=CjwKCAiAp8iMBhAqEiwAJb94zyf4Kxc6rRXzHQcqnx_0kIhKj8vTwlvsqKzvZsM5lD7Fd5An4s1bpxoC2GoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Quoted from LTG:
A rectangular fish tank

15 gallon works nicely.

LTG : )

#5 2 years ago

N_W

Neal_W

Pinside member

Could put LTG's face in the tank or mine and my friends...

#6 2 years ago

???

ccbiggsoo7

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from LTG:
15 gallon works nicely.
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/aqueon-standard-glass-aquarium-tank-24-l-x-12-w-x-12-h-429325?cm_mmc=PSH-_-GGL-_-CMB-_-PME-_-PET-_-AQU-_-0-_-PM_GGL_FY21_SBU05_Vendor_BOPIS_LIA-_-0-_-0&gclid=CjwKCAiAp8iMBhAqEiwAJb94zyf4Kxc6rRXzHQcqnx_0kIhKj8vTwlvsqKzvZsM5lD7Fd5An4s1bpxoC2GoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
LTG : )

im in the process of doing this, just trying to get a couple good zombie heads off ebay.

#7 2 years ago

ROB

Rdoyle1978

Pinside member

7y 117K 18,144 14 6

I’d want to see an actual working aquarium to one-up the Stern topper!

#8 2 years ago

AXE

YeOldPinPlayer

Inactive member

8y 111K 6,454 4 12

Quoted from Rdoyle1978:
I’d want to see an actual working aquarium to one-up the Stern topper!

Two immediate drawbacks to that approach are weight and liquid.

One could mount some heads so they would bounce a little as the machine was nudged but getting the movement in air to mimic the movement in water would take some experimenting.

Maybe some small hoses filled with liquid and air being pumped through them to simulate bubbles in an aquarium? That would be less liquid but not zero.

I really like the idea of a custom head(s) so the owner could put themselves or their loved ones in there. Or enemies.

#9 2 years ago

RHO

Rensh

Pinside+ Frequent

Following

#10 2 years ago

SLT

ClassicHornet

Pinside member

16y 72,050 489 41

what's the infatuation with toppers ? not every pinball should have one

#11 2 years ago

RCC

RC_like_the_cola

Pinside+ Frequent

Sellersburg, IN

12y 91,800 5,658 26 2

Quoted from ClassicHornet:
what's the infatuation with toppers ? not every pinball should have one

Agreed. It's like a shaker motor. If you put one in all your damn games, none of them are special, lol.

Although, the TWD Fish Tank topper is one of the cooler ones and I would want one on my game, if I could get one at MSRP.

#12 2 years ago

TechnicalSteam

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 88,050 1,733

I'm pretty sure there are guys who can make you one of these for the right price.

Don' think it would be to hard to make a better one.

Just don't put liquid in there. Or just fake the liquid by having Gel in a small enclosure in front of heads
then run a small pump to make it bubble and put some of that luminous crap in that makes it glow.

Or just sink it in a resin block.

They had a 2 tank version that was like 30 - 50 bucks on ebay..

#13 2 years ago

AXE

YeOldPinPlayer

Inactive member

8y 111K 6,454 4 12

Quoted from TechnicalSteam:
They had a 2 tank version that was like 30 - 50 bucks on ebay..

There was a Blu-Ray box set that had a couple small tanks with it. I think MezelMods used one of those for the back right of the playfield.
Tanks are shown starting around the 2m 10s mark.

#14 2 years ago

BOS

McDoom

Pinside member

Quoted from ccbiggsoo7:
More
im in the process of doing this, just trying to get a couple of good zombie heads off eBay.

I would love to see what you come up with. Have you started yet?

I thought of making a tank out of plastic sheets.

I wonder if it's possible to 3D print some decent size/looking heads. (I don't have a 3D printer and never used one, but I would be willing to get one for this project)

I see some excellent Ideas posted here.

Feel free to chime in if you have experience with this type of thing.

#15 2 years ago

JRK

TFK

Pinside member

2y 30,150 245

I made the miniature ones for the game back in the day. I'll look into this a bit

#16 2 years ago

BOS

McDoom

Pinside member

Quoted from TFK:
I made the miniature ones for the game back in the day. I'll look into this a bit

That would be great. Do you have photos of the original ones that you made?

#17 2 years ago

JRK

TFK

Pinside member

2y 30,150 245

OP
Quoted from McDoom:
That would be great. Do you have photos of the original ones that you made?

No sorry, that was so long ago.

#18 2 years ago

RHO

Rensh

Pinside+ Frequent

https://www.flippermarkt.de/community/forum/threads/the-walking-dead-fish-tank-topper.233372/page-2

On a German forum also somebody is in this process of making a topper

Hope this helps with the help of google translate .

#19 2 years ago

N_W

Neal_W

Pinside member

Quoted from Rensh:
Hope this helps with the help of google translate .

I can't open/save the plug-in pinout PNG image without an account. Can you repost it here?

#20 2 years ago

RHO

Rensh

Pinside+ Frequent

You mean this post?

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#21 2 years ago

N_W

Neal_W

Pinside member

Quoted from Rensh:
You mean this post?

Yes, thanks. I believe that is the wiring for the premium/LE little fish tank above the right ramp where during play the heads individually light green 1st, 2nd, 3rd for each fish tank shot needed to light the Woodbury shot and during the light show.

J7 pin3 ground
J7 pin8 center head LED
J7 pin9 left head LED
J7 pin10 right head LED

I guess the factory topper has more signals with white and green LEDs shown here at the 14min mark-

#22 2 years ago

???

ccbiggsoo7

Pinside+ Frequent

OP
Quoted from McDoom:
I would love to see what you come up with. Have you started yet?
I thought of making a tank out of plastic sheets.
I wonder if it's possible to 3D print some decent size/looking heads. (I don't have a 3D printer and never used one, but I would be willing to get one for this project)
I see some excellent Ideas posted here.
Feel free to chime in if you have experience with this type of thing.

went looking at tanks yesterday, got a bunch of zombie heads im looking at, haven't really found a tank im happy with. thinking maybe a 3 gallon. need to run down to a local bar and see the original topper and get some measurements on it. like to keep it close to original, maybe a tad bigger.

#23 2 years ago

BOS

McDoom

Pinside member

Quoted from Rensh:
Hope this helps with the help of google translate .

This does help A lot

I'm really liking the look of these zombie heads.

Is this person on Pinside?

How do I go about getting these heads?

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#24 2 years ago

DAV

daveyvandy

Pinside member

Dublin, OH

5y 118K 1,508 11

I came into this post thinking you wanted to do a real fish tank with real fish in it on top of fish tales. Glad you're not as dumb as me.

#25 2 years ago

N_W

Neal_W

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from McDoom:
How do I go about getting these heads?

It says in the thread-

There are a lot of zombie heads on the net, google for ........ Zombie head stl.

Stl is the file type for 3d printing.

#26 2 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

Quoted from ccbiggsoo7:
get some measurements

14 inches wide, 6 inches deep, 7 1/2 inches high.

LTG : )

#27 2 years ago

RHO

Rensh

Pinside+ Frequent

https://www.flippermarkt.de/community/forum/threads/the-walking-dead-fish-tank-topper.233372/

Measurement you can see in the post on German forum

And scroll a few posts down

The zombie heads are 3D printed and handpainted by the builder

#28 2 years ago

???

ccbiggsoo7

Pinside+ Frequent

Picked this up tonight for $40, about perfect size and has blue or white leds in the hood allready, with tinted sides and backglass. Its the same depth as the backbox and its the same height as all my other toppers.

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#29 2 years ago

???

ccbiggsoo7

Pinside+ Frequent

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#30 2 years ago

BOS

McDoom

Pinside member

How heavy is it?

Do you think the tank would stay secured if I partially filled it with aquarium gravel?

What method are you using to secure it?

How do you think it'll respond to nudging and movement?

Those lights are cool, but I visioned some kick-ass LEDs in there. Or at least the type you can dim to give the tank a different atmosphere.

#31 2 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from McDoom:
Do you think the tank would stay secured if I partially filled it with aquarium gravel?

No.

LTG : )

#32 2 years ago

BOS

McDoom

Pinside member

Hey LTG, I appreciate the support/advice as always.

What method do you suggest to anchor down this fish tank safely?

#33 2 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from McDoom:
What method do you suggest to anchor down this fish tank safely?

Holes inside the tank, screw it down. Angle bracket outside the tank on the back. Screw to tank and top of backbox.

LTG : )

#34 2 years ago

AXE

YeOldPinPlayer

Inactive member

8y 111K 6,454 4 12

OP
Quoted from McDoom:
Hey LTG, I appreciate the support/advice as always.
What method do you suggest to anchor down this fish tank safely?

You have to assume someone is going to fold down the backbox without removing it. Secure it so it doesn't fall off or spill anything out of it when that happens.

#35 2 years ago

???

ccbiggsoo7

Pinside+ Frequent

OP
Quoted from McDoom:
How heavy is it?
Do you think the tank would stay secured if I partially filled it with aquarium gravel?
What method are you using to secure it?
How do you think it'll respond to nudging and movement?
Those lights are cool, but I visioned some kick-ass LEDs in there. Or at least the type you can dim to give the tank a different atmosphere.

yeah, just letting people know it does have lights with it, but i'll prob rig up a light strip. i'll prob just use a large piece of heavy duty velcro, like most of my toppers come with. mine will never be folded down, so i won't have to worry about that at home.

1 week later

#37 2 years ago

BOS

McDoom

Pinside member

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#39 2 years ago

BOS

McDoom

Pinside member

Hello gentlemen,

I’ve been enjoying time with friends and family during this holiday season; therefore, I've taken a slight break from this project but have not forgotten about it.

Just a quick update: I decided to go with a 3-gallon black glass aquarium-like ccbiggsoo7 (The black back glass increases the glow factor inside the tank).

F.Y.I. this tank is extremely lightweight and fits perfectly on top of your machine and comes with a led strip inside; however, I’m going to replace my tank with a nice RGB led strip.

I'm still on the hunt for zombie heads; however, I want to get some of the zombie heads from the German website listed above (IMO they look very impressive).

I'm still looking for suggestions and input from the community, so please comment on this project.

Like I mentioned above, I'm going to put a moderate about of glowing fish gravel inside my tank, which will make the display really pop (I don't ever plan on putting the head down on my pin, and if I need to, I'll simply use my shock vac to remove the gravel).

This project is far from DEAD!!

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1 month later

#40 2 years ago

???

ccbiggsoo7

Pinside+ Frequent

got some zombie heads in to try out for sizing purposes.

#41 2 years ago

???

ccbiggsoo7

Pinside+ Frequent

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#42 2 years ago

???

ccbiggsoo7

Pinside+ Frequent

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#43 2 years ago

BOS

McDoom

Pinside member

ccbiggsoo7 I really like the lighting and the size difference is pretty cool too!!

I just email the creator of the zombie heads on the German website, hopefully he gets back to me.

I really like the heads he used!!

#44 2 years ago

N_W

Neal_W

Pinside member

Quoted from ccbiggsoo7:
try out for sizing purposes.

The middle one looks like a good size.

#45 2 years ago

KEN

Kenz

Pinside member