FIELD REFERENCE / Crafting & machines
Probably Stolen Aquaculture Guide
Keep the habitat stable before increasing the number of fish you expect it to support.
Use the Aquafarmer start or unlock the aquaculture network route, then maintain a Recirculating Aquaculture System with enough water, usable filtration, energy and suitable food. Tilapia can reproduce through fertilized roe. Check the species before planning a breeding loop: the community reference does not treat eels or sturgeon as breeding stock.
Start as Aquafarmer or unlock the business
The developer describes Aquafarmer as a fish-focused start and also introduces the Retired Aquafarmer through a network upgrade. The official overview emphasizes tank water quality, filtration and energy cells. Aquaculture is therefore a system you can add to a shop, not only an opening label.
The community reference lists Water Trading before the Aquaculture upgrade. Check the prerequisites in Wild's Network in your run and budget for the habitat as well as the unlock. Our recommendation is to begin with one manageable tank rather than buying additional fish before you know its operating needs.
Evidence: Developer: release and scenario overview · Wikily: aquaculture requirements
Prepare the tank before adding stock
- Open the Recirculating Aquaculture System and inspect its capacity and slots. Have water, filtration, energy and the intended food ready.
- Add enough appropriate water for the fish you intend to keep, accounting for their current size and expected growth.
- Fit a usable filter and maintain the energy required for circulation. Check those items after each night rather than assuming they remain effective forever.
- Add suitable fish or roe only when the habitat is ready. Keep species and ages identifiable so you can notice growth and feeding differences.
- Before closing, inspect water condition, food, charge and fish health. The next morning, compare the result before increasing the stock.
Evidence: Developer: release and scenario overview · Wikily: aquaculture requirements
Compare the roles of different fish
| Fish | Main distinction | Planning consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Tilapia | Omnivorous stock that can breed | A straightforward species for learning roe and fry management. |
| Gutter Tilapia | Tolerates and processes some dirty-water conditions | Do not transfer its tolerances to every other fish. |
| Graft Tilapia | Associated with skin-graft output | Check its more sensitive water requirements. |
| Eel | Carnivorous; no breeding in the referenced system | Supply an appropriate diet rather than expecting a self-replacing colony. |
| Electric Eel | Carnivorous, with an energy-related role | Read its stage-specific effect before building a power plan around it. |
| Sturgeon | Carnivorous; caviar-related production | A different production commitment from a tilapia breeding tank. |
Evidence: Wikily: aquaculture requirements
Protect the breeding cycle
The official description explains the progression from laid and fertilized roe to fry and mature fish. The community reference adds an important practical distinction: breeding tilapia requires suitably fed adults, while hungry fish may consume roe or smaller stock.
Our recommendation is to check the adult pair, food availability and capacity before interpreting a missing hatch as a bug. One unsuccessful night is weak evidence for a broken process. Keep notes on which stage exists—adult, roe, fertilized roe or fry—so you can identify where the cycle stops.
If you plan a separate nursery, prepare its habitat before moving anything. Moving young stock out of a functioning system into an empty container defeats the point of separating it.
Evidence: Developer: release and scenario overview · Wikily: aquaculture requirements
Harvest without removing your future production
The developer describes using a knife to butcher fish for meat and Surgery Tools for sturgeon caviar. Decide which stock is for sale or harvesting and which is supporting the next cycle before using a destructive tool.
A useful shop routine is to mark a breeding reserve and harvest only the surplus. Compare feed and maintenance costs with the output you actually sell. A tank full of growing fish is not yet liquid cash for rent; keep another source of working money until production becomes predictable.
Evidence: Developer: release and scenario overview
Find the cause of a failing tank
| Problem | Inspect first |
|---|---|
| Fish health falls | Water amount, contamination, food, filter and circulation. |
| No roe or fry | Species, adult pair, feeding and the stage of the current cycle. |
| Roe disappears | Hungry or larger stock sharing the tank. |
| Feed remains but fish are hungry | Whether it matches the species' diet. |
| An expanding colony becomes unstable | Growth and new fish may have exceeded the habitat you originally budgeted for. |
COUNTER QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to select Aquafarmer at the start?
No. The developer also describes aquaculture through the Retired Aquafarmer network route. Follow the prerequisites offered in your run.
Can every fish species breed?
No. The community reference distinguishes breeding tilapia from eels and sturgeon. Check the species instead of applying a tilapia recipe to every tank.
Is more fish always more profit?
Only if the tank can support them and you can sell the resulting output. More stock can increase water, feed and management demands before it increases cash.
Sources & evidence
Source notes identify the basis for this guide. Your current in-game tooltips and dialogue take precedence when a patch or mod changes a mechanic.
- Developer: release and scenario overview ↗
Official announcement. Establishes the nine release scenarios, store buyout goal and aquaculture basics.
- Wikily: aquaculture requirements ↗
Community reference for diet, tank care and species reproduction. Consult fish and tank tooltips for your setup.
Found a discrepancy? Send the page link and supporting evidence.