Fishtank, also known as fishtank.live, is an American 24/7 livestreamed reality competition created by Sam Hyde and Jet Neptune. The show features contestants (known as the "fish") living together in a camera-monitored house for several weeks with minimal rules while producers stage unpredictable tasks and challenges for them. The fish endure "unfiltered" conditions while the live feed rolls continuously. Viewers can influence the show in real time by purchasing interactive features—such as playing sound effects, sending text-to-speech messages, or affecting the fish directly via "fishtoys"—to prank, harass, or support contestants. The series premiered in April 2023 and has aired five seasons as of 2026.
By mid-2024 the series reached one million unique viewers and about $3 million in revenue. The show is produced by Hyde and Neptune, operating under their production company Fishnet Inc. In 2024, it migrated its streaming infrastructure to Livepeer Studio's decentralized platform.
Premise Fishtank's format is modeled loosely on "Big Brother"-style reality TV, but with an extreme, real-time interactive element. Eight to twelve contestants enter a furnished house equipped with cameras covering every room, with little to no external entertainment or communication beyond each other. Contestant selection is curated to include people with peculiar and intriguing personalities, with the aim of generating captivating content. Contestants are typically barred from leaving the house or using phones or the internet for the duration of the six-week game.
Producers, including Hyde and Neptune, periodically present challenges or twists, such as timed tasks or staged events, that can lead to immunity, elimination, or rewards. Many of the challenges are designed to frustrate or disgust the contestants, whose physical and mental strain often becomes part of the spectacle. Viewers may watch the live stream 24/7 and pay to affect the environment. For example, they may purchase virtual tokens, or "fishbucks", to send prerecorded voice messages or trigger house events, or buy in-game items, "Fishtoys", that alter conditions, such as turning lights on or off, silencing a contestant, or forcibly handcuffing two contestants together.
Production The series is produced by Hyde and Neptune under their production entity Fishnet Inc. Beyond Hyde and Neptune, the show's visible production team has included Benjamin Taylor, a main production member and co-creator present throughout the series; Vance Latta, a season-one contestant who later joined the crew and has since worked in production roles including camera operation and in-house security; Cameron ("Mints"), who initially worked as a moderator on the platform before taking on a larger on-site operational role in season 4; and Matt ("Maejok"), who joined the crew around Bloodgames and has been associated with the show's live technical infrastructure, including cameras, audio, and servers.
Cast Hosts Sam Hyde (2023–2025) – Co-creator and primary host. Hyde frequently appears on camera (often in character) to explain challenges and interact with the contestants. He hosted Seasons 1 through 4 and was billed under his chaotic persona "Jason Goldstriker." He has had variations of the character, such as "Jebediah Goldstriker" in season 2, "The Duke" in Bloodgames, and "Jeremy Gold" or "G" in season 3. Bam Margera (2026–present) – In Season 5 (2026) the show announced a new host rotation; Bam Margera (former professional skateboarder and star of MTV's Jackass) assumed hosting duties for the latest season.
Recurring guests Among the show's most prominent supporting personalities are "freeloaders" (non-contesting participants introduced to disrupt or reshape the house dynamic) who appear across seasons, generally due to being fan favorites adept at causing chaos in the house.
Chris LaFon (better known as AirsoftFatty) – A recurring freeloader and occasional comic foil who appeared in season 1, season 2, Bloodgames, and season 3. A YouTuber from Michigan, LaFon became one of the series' most recognizable returning guest figures; his appearances generally emphasized endurance of awkward situations, improvised character work, and physical comedy reliant on his obesity, and in season 3 he briefly entered under the Famous House conceit before remaining as a freeloader and joining the final three fish in the Las Vegas RV arc. Frank Hassle (born Cameron Williams) – A fan-favorite freeloader who appeared in seasons 1, 2, and 3, often under aliases such as "Chad King", "Johnson", and "Wild Randy". Among the show's best-known antagonistic guest presences, Hassle was repeatedly used to intensify conflict inside the house through harassment, destruction of property, and confrontational needling of contestants. Alex Stein – A friend of the producers who appeared as a freeloader in seasons 1, 2, 3, 5, and Bloodgames. A Dallas-based comedian and online personality, Stein was typically introduced as an outside agitator whose role blended stunt casting with the show's broader taste for provocation; in different appearances he entered under alternate personas.
Series overview Season 1 (spring 2023) The inaugural season ran from April 18 to May 30, 2023. It featured eight contestants from across North America living under the original Fishtank format. Josie Martinez won and received a cash prize of $35,000. During the program, additional characters, called "freeloaders", were introduced into the house. They could not compete for the prize money, but could interact with the fish, and received $1,000 if they tormented one into leaving the house. Most freeloaders were either fans of the show who wished to become contestants or well-known figures in niche online communities. Some were former contestants who returned with a new role after leaving the house.
Contestants
NameRoleAgeGenderPlace of originArrivedStatusDays in houseJosieFish21FemaleArizona, United StatesApril 18, 2023Winner ($35,000 prize)42Violetta ("Letty")Fish23FemaleOntario, CanadaApril 18, 2023Runner-up ($20,000 prize)42Chris (Airsoft Fatty)Freeloader25MaleMichigan, United StatesMay 15, 2023Left on May 29, 202315Frank HassleFreeloader26MaleUnited StatesMay 19, 2023Left on May 29, 202311VanceFish25MaleAuburn, United StatesApril 18, 2023Eliminated on May 25, 202338SimonFreeloader23MaleVietnamMay 15, 2023Left on May 21, 20237SylviaFish23FemaleTulsa, United StatesApril 18, 2023Eliminated on May 18, 202331Brandon BuckinghamFreeloader28MaleMaryland, United StatesMay 10, 2023Left on May 12, 20233DamielFish27MaleSan Francisco, United StatesApril 18, 2023Eliminated on May 7, 202320Alex SteinFreeloader37MaleTexas, United StatesMay 4, 2023Left on May 5, 20232JonathanFish24MaleBend, United StatesApril 18, 2023Eliminated on May 3, 202316DontariusFreeloader24MaleUnited StatesMay 2, 2023Left on May 3, 20232LanceFreeloader32MaleAuburn, United StatesApril 29, 2023Left on May 1, 20233BettyFreeloader22FemaleAlberta, CanadaApril 29, 2023Left on April 30, 20232EllaFreeloader22FemaleUnited StatesApril 27, 2023Left on April 28, 20232MauroFish24MaleNew Mexico, United StatesApril 18, 2023Eliminated April 26, 20239SimmonsFish29MaleSuzhou, ChinaApril 18, 2023Removed on April 26, 20239
Season 2 (winter 2023–24) The second season aired from December 18, 2023, to January 28, 2024. It had ten contestants and took place in a new house with a 1970s theme and the fish in period clothing. Unlike the first season, most contestants had some awareness of the show's premise.
At the outset, production told each contestant that they were a "plant" and the sole participant who already knew about "Fishtank", and that the other contestants were unfamiliar with both the program and Sam Hyde. This conceit quickly collapsed as the cast realized that several of them were aware of the show. The season was presented as an increasingly grueling and psychologically demanding competition, with production gradually pushing the house toward the so-called "hell house" phase as conditions deteriorated and the property was progressively damaged.
A further storyline involved the fictional "Initiative Group", a made-up cult devised by production and introduced through the attic segments. The conceit was originally meant to continue through the full season, with any eventual winner needing to join the group at some stage, but the storyline was largely abandoned after about two weeks. TJ was the only contestant to be formally incorporated into the Initiative Group narrative before it was phased out, making it a distinctive part of his arc during the season. TJ won the $50,000 cash prize.
Contestants
NameRoleAgeGenderPlace of originArrivedStatusDays in houseTJ (Thomas)Fish23MaleHenderson, United StatesDecember 18, 2023Winner ($50,000 prize)42ShinjiFish24MaleTokyo, JapanDecember 18, 2023Runner-up42Frank HassleFreeloader27MaleUnited StatesJanuary 19, 2024Left on January 26, 20247Chris (Airsoft Fatty)Freeloader26MaleMichigan, United StatesJanuary 5, 2024Left on January 26, 202421Alex SteinFreeloader38MaleTexas, United StatesJanuary 22, 2024Left on January 26, 20244GregFreeloader26MaleTennessee, United StatesJanuary 10, 2024Left on January 26, 202416TayleighFish20FemaleStephenville, TexasDecember 18, 2023Eliminated on January 26, 202439TrishFish22FemaleIllinois, United StatesDecember 18, 2023Eliminated and immediately became a freeloader on January 21, 2024Left on January 26, 202439TaylorFreeloader21FemaleFlorida, United StatesDecember 28, 2023Left on January 22, 202425BritneyFreeloader21FemaleJacksonville, United StatesJanuary 19, 2024Left on January 22, 20243Duany'ayFreeloader24MaleMissouri, United StatesDecember 18, 2023Eliminated on January 19, 202432CKFreeloader22FemaleUnited StatesJanuary 12, 2024Left on January 18, 20246Bliccy ("Ali")Freeloader22FemaleConnecticut, United StatesJanuary 13, 2024Left on January 15, 20242Nick RochefortVisitor41MaleRhode Island, United StatesJanuary 3, 2024Left on January 13, 20242JimmyFish27MaleOhio, United StatesDecember 18, 2023Removed on January 13, 202426BrianFish25MaleSouth Carolina, United StatesDecember 18, 2023Eliminated on January 12, 202425DelaneyFreeloader21FemaleMyrtle Beach, United StatesJanuary 6, 2024Left on January 12, 20246Charleston WhiteVisitor53MaleTexas, United StatesJanuary 3, 2024Left on January 5, 20242OliverFreeloader24MaleChristchurch, New ZealandDecember 31, 2023Left on January 5, 20245NiftyFreeloader25FemaleBoston, United StatesDecember 21, 2023Eliminated on December 31, 202310ColeFish23MaleArkansas, United StatesDecember 18, 2023Removed on December 28, 202310JCFish26FemaleTaiwanDecember 18, 2023Quit on December 24, 20236MeganFish24FemaleSandusky, OhioDecember 18, 2023Quit on December 22, 20234SummerFish21FemaleKansas, United StatesDecember 18, 2023Quit on December 21, 20233
Season 2.5 / Bloodgames (summer 2024) Between the second and third seasons, Fishtank aired Fishtank All-Stars Vampire Bloodgames, an interstitial spin-off commonly called Season 2.5 by fans and promotional material. The event premiered on June 25, 2024, and ran for about two weeks. Bloodgames was an outdoor live-action role-playing and survival variant featuring personalities from earlier seasons. Unlike the main seasons, there was no single grand prize winner; instead, players aimed to "survive" the game's narrative and challenges.
Contestants