| Aspect | What It Is | How It Feels | |--------|------------|--------------| | Tank Creation | Choose tank dimensions, glass type, lighting, substrate, and décor. | Very intuitive drag‑and‑drop interface; you can start with a modest 30‑liter bowl or a sprawling 500‑liter reef tank. | | Species Selection | Over 200 marine and freshwater species (fish, corals, invertebrates, plants). | Each animal comes with a detailed “care sheet” (temperature, pH, diet, compatibility). The game encourages research before adding a new inhabitant. | | Water Chemistry | Real‑time monitoring of temperature, pH, salinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. | The chemistry system is surprisingly accurate; you’ll need water changes, buffers, and dosing equipment to keep a reef thriving. | | Automation & Equipment | Pumps, filters, skimmers, UV sterilizers, protein skimmers, dosing pumps, controllers (e.g., AquaLogic). | The automation ladder is deep—set up a “smart” system that maintains parameters automatically, or go fully manual for a hardcore experience. | | Education & Research | In‑game encyclopedia, “Field Trips” to real‑world aquaria, and a “Science Mode” that logs data for export. | Excellent for hobbyists who want to learn real‑world aquarium keeping. Data can be exported as CSV for personal analysis. | | Economy & Progression | Earn “AquaCoins” by achieving milestones (e.g., 6‑month stable reef) and by completing optional challenges. | The economy feels more like a reward system than a grind; you unlock decorative items and rare species, but you’re never forced to grind for money. | | Multiplayer/Community | Optional “Aquarium Share” mode lets you visit friends’ tanks, trade fish, and compare water parameters. | A fun, low‑stakes way to showcase your design and get tips from other players. No competitive PvP. |

| Category | Quantity | Highlights | |----------|----------|------------| | Fish Species | 120+ | Includes popular marine fish (Clownfish, Banggai Cardinalfish) and rarities (Mandarinfish). | | Corals | 80+ | Soft, LPS, and SPS varieties with growth stages and lighting requirements. | | Invertebrates | 45+ | Shrimp, crabs, starfish, sea urchins – each with distinct grazing or cleaning roles. | | Decorative Items | 200+ | Rocks, corals, driftwood, custom 3D‑printed ornaments (importable via .obj). | | Scenarios | 12 | Pre‑built “challenge tanks” (e.g., “Coral Spawning Event”) that test your skill. | | DLC / Expansions | 2 (as of 2024) | Deep Sea Expedition (adds abyssal species) and Freshwater Gardens (focuses on plant‑heavy biotopes). |

Replay Value: The sandbox nature means each tank can be a unique project. Community contests (e.g., “Best Nano Reef”) provide external motivation. The data‑logging feature also encourages long‑term tracking, appealing to hobbyists who want to experiment with dosing regimes.

| Platform | Price (USD) | Notes | |----------|------------|-------| | Steam | $24.99 (often on sale) | Includes base game + free updates. | | Epic Games Store | $24.99 (occasionally bundled with free DLC) | Same version as Steam. | | Direct from Developer | $24.99 (offers a “Student/Educator” discount of 30 %) | Includes optional “Premium Support” tier. | | Console (Xbox Series X|S, PS5) | Not released (PC‑only as of 2025) | – |

Note: Prices may fluctuate during seasonal sales (e.g., Steam Summer Sale, Black Friday). Purchasing during a sale can drop the price to $9.99–$14.99.