In real life, you probably shouldn’t put an Endler’s guppy in the same community tank with a tiger barb because the guppy’s tail will attract the barb’s attention. You’ll also have to watch out to be sure that you avoid placing conflicting species in a tank together. If you do choose to sink an hour or so into the campaign mode, you’ll find yourself adjusting the water’s pH and temperature levels, and those skills will serve you well when you are finally released to design your own aquascapes. Realistic mode requires you to check back in with your tanks regularly, monitoring the health of your fish as well as the water parameters in your tank.
You have two options in the My Aquariums mode-realistic and casual. I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for being able to design the tank of my dreams while still living in a house that barely sustains the three fish tanks I have. The game’s real thrill occurs when you move into the more sandbox-style game and design aquariums to your own specifications. One of the early quests involves designing an aquarium to resemble a child’s drawing, and it proved a touch more challenging than I’d originally anticipated. Could there be more involved in the campaign mode? Sure, but what the campaign mode does well is introduce you to the concepts of design rather neatly. This may come as a shock to you, but Aquarium Designer features a campaign mode, and I have to admit, I wasn’t anticipating enjoying it as much as I have. Regardless of whatever interest you have in actually owning an aquarium, you should give Aquarium Designer a try if only to enjoy the waves of peacefulness that will wash over you while you watch your digital fish.
In some ways that makes your designed aquarium the ideal fishkeeping experience. That’s perhaps why I’m choosing to welcome in the new year with a low-impact, stress-free fish tank simulator, and I have exactly zero shame about that.Īquarium Designer lets you design and construct virtual aquariums without ever having to do a water change, handle an algal bloom, or worry about bioload. 2021 in many ways has been as difficult a year as 2020 was, and for me personally, it was entirely worse. I’m not ringing in 2022 with a bang here, but hear me out.