Summary of "Megaquarium - Fishing for Compliments"

Overview / Storyline

The mission begins with you taking over a private collector’s aquarium and opening it to the public. Your immediate objective is to create a spectacular entrance tank (a centerpiece) that meets the collector’s specifications (for example: contain six different species, be healthy and themed).

The game blends mission-style objectives (similar to RollerCoaster Tycoon) with freeform expansion, research, and design.

Gameplay highlights and mechanics

Tanks use a capacity system measured in “fish points.” Different species cost different point values based on size.
Individual fish have many needs and traits:
- Social requirements (minimum group sizes).
- Aggression (bullies vs wimps).
- Preferred pellet color / food types.
- Habitat likes (caves, rocks, plants, lights).
- Diet special cases (mussels, zooplankton).
- Whether they damage coral or other decor.
Water quality and temperature are vital. Filtration, heating and pumps are required:
- Filters and heaters maintain water quality and temperature.
- Pumps let filters/heaters be placed away from guest view while still servicing tanks.
Research currencies: ecology, science, and prestige. Guests viewing exhibits generate these, unlocking tech, decorations, and new facilities (e.g., protein skimmer, disco mushroom coral).
Fish and corals grow or change over time (e.g., moray eels grow and take more space), affecting tank capacity and water demands.
Some corals/items (like disco mushroom coral) require specific lights and tank conditions to grow.
Tank types include basic tanks, wall tanks, observation tanks, lagoons (sunken, higher capacity) and deep variants that increase capacity. Each type affects exhibit design and guest sightlines.
Staff roles cover feeding, cleaning, repairing, and theming. Staff-only access areas must be separated from guest view (staff doors/walls). Tool stations and broom stands support maintenance tasks.
Guests want a curated experience: hide equipment, provide benches/bins/vending machines, and use theming. Floor arrows can direct guest flow.

Key tips & strategies

Monitor tank capacity and the impact of fish growth. Plan for future growth or choose species that fit your long-term plan.
Keep water quality high:
- Use sufficient filters and heaters and link them with pumps so equipment can be hidden in staff-only rooms.
- Use a protein skimmer for small/high-demand tanks.
- Add cleaners (e.g., hermit crabs) where appropriate to help maintain water quality.
Separate incompatible species:
- Avoid mixing conflicting pellet-food types (green vs orange).
- Don’t pair bullies with wimps or species that will predate others (lionfish, morays) unless the tank is large and cohabitants are safe sizes.
Localize consumables near tanks:
- Place food or mussel dispensers close to tanks that need regular feeding to speed staff tasks and hide feeding from guests.
Hide equipment and maintenance areas:
- Build staff-only rooms behind exhibits to conceal pumps/filters/heaters.
- Put doors at both ends of long staff backrooms to reduce staff walk time.
Theming and guest comfort:
- Use rocks, caves, plants, lights, sand, etc., to meet fish requirements and create visually appealing exhibits.
- Place benches, bins and vending machines to improve guest comfort and reduce litter.
Staff management:
- Hire generalist staff initially so tasks get done reliably; add specialists later.
- Place tool stations and broom stands near maintenance areas to minimize travel time.
Experimentation is safe: you can sell placed items for full price, so try layouts and changes without heavy penalty.
Traffic flow:
- Use floor arrows to funnel guests down a single corridor/viewing sequence for a curated experience.
Money & pacing:
- Tanks and expansions are relatively cheap; aquariums tend to be profitable but watch cash when spending on theming and tech.
Research planning:
- Place exhibits that generate ecology or science (e.g., moray eels for science) to speed research unlocks.
- Unlocking tech (lights, protein skimmer, new tank types) expands exhibit possibilities.

Quick checklist to open a new aquarium exhibit

Build the tank and check fish point capacity.
Add required filters/heaters (link via pump if you want to hide equipment).
Add required theming elements (caves/rocks/plants/lights) to meet species-specific needs.
Place food/mussel dispensers or provide staff access for feeding.
Hire enough staff and place a tool station / broom stand.
Ensure guests cannot see equipment (use staff doors/walls).
Add benches, bins and vending machines to improve guest experience.
Open and monitor water quality, fish happiness, and guest prestige/earnings.

Common pitfalls to watch for

Overfilling tanks without planning for fish growth (future growth can push you over capacity).
Mixing species with incompatible food types or aggression levels.
Leaving equipment in guest view (hurts ratings).
Not placing staff doors/tool stations appropriately, causing long maintenance times.
Forgetting to provide platforms/stairs for tall tanks so guests or feeders can reach things.

Progression & design tips

Use pumps to decentralize bulk equipment and hide it; multiple pumps and filters can support large or multiple exhibits.
Upgrade to larger filters as you research them to support bigger exhibits.
Deep variants of tanks greatly increase capacity — use them for big lagoons or packed wall displays.
Theme rooms (floor/paint/wall) to create distinct zones (for example, Harbour → Beach/Lagoon) to keep exhibits feeling fresh and increase guest enjoyment.
Balance small, colorful, social schooling tanks with big prestigious exhibits to generate steady prestige and research.