How do you build an aquarium?
Frontier’s Sandbox showcase builds a complete aquarium from 59:10 in the video, and the Zoo Tour shows finished ones from 27:48.
- Place aquarium barriers the same way as a habitat, choosing size, orientation and height. Ready-made aquarium blueprints are also available, including Workshop ones.
- Add an aquarium staff gate and connect it to your path network so keepers can reach the tank.
- Attach water filters. They supply the water and set its salinity: freshwater, saltwater or brackish.
- Set water temperature and lighting at the staff gate to suit the species.
- Add a guest gate if you want a viewing tunnel through the water.
Why do salinity and temperature matter?
They decide whether an animal can live there at all. Frontier’s example: a saltwater species will not survive in freshwater. Each species also has a preferred temperature. The Zoopedia lists each animal’s needs, and the full animal list shows which ones are aquatic.
How do you keep an aquarium clean?
The water network keeps the water flowing, but staff still need to dive in and clean the windows from time to time. Dirty water makes animals harder for guests to see and raises the chance of disease. Aquariums also need maintenance to avoid leaks, and barrier types differ in how well they resist cracking.
How do you give guests a good view?
- Guest tunnels through the water, which can be built at different heights.
- One-way glass, and concave or convex sections of barrier.
- Multi-storey or underground aquariums for variety.
- Invisible barriers and scenery for natural-looking spaces.
Which animals live in aquariums?
The Zoopedia lists 34 aquarium species; those marked “or exhibit” can also live in an exhibit tank.
| Animal | Kept in | Waters | Biomes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Tigerfish | Aquarium or Exhibit | Africa | Lakes and rivers | Least concern |
| Blackspotted Puffer | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
| Blacktip Reef Shark | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Estuarine, Mangrove, Reef | Vulnerable |
| Blue and Gold Fusilier | Aquarium or Exhibit | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
| Bluespine Unicornfish | Aquarium or Exhibit | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
| Blunthead Cichlid | Aquarium or Exhibit | Africa | Lakes and rivers | Least concern |
| Boeseman's Rainbowfish | Aquarium or Exhibit | Australasia | Lakes and rivers | Endangered |
| Brown Trout | Aquarium or Exhibit | Europe | Lakes and rivers | Least concern |
| Clown Anemonefish | Aquarium or Exhibit | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
| Clown Loach | Aquarium or Exhibit | Asia | Lakes and rivers | Least concern |
| Clown Triggerfish | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
| Common Rudd | Aquarium or Exhibit | Asia, Europe | Lakes and rivers | Least concern |
| Dolphinfish | Aquarium | Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Pacific | Open sea | Least concern |
| Giant Gourami | Aquarium or Exhibit | Asia | Lakes and rivers | Least concern |
| Giant Grouper | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Estuarine, Mangrove, Reef | Data deficient |
| Golden Trevally | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Estuarine, Reef | Least concern |
| Great Hammerhead | Aquarium | Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Pacific | Open sea, Reef | Critically endangered |
| Hawksbill Turtle | Aquarium | Africa, Asia, Atlantic, Australasia, Europe, Indian Ocean, North America, Pacific, South America | Estuarine, Mangrove, Open sea, Reef | Critically endangered |
| Humphead Wrasse | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Open sea, Reef | Endangered |
| Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Estuarine, Reef | Least concern |
| Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Estuarine, Mangrove, Open sea, Reef | Endangered |
| Indo-Pacific Sergeant | Aquarium or Exhibit | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Open sea, Reef | Least concern |
| Longfin Batfish | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
| Ocean Sunfish | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Open sea | Vulnerable |
| Ocellated Eagle Ray | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Estuarine, Open sea, Reef | Endangered |
| Pacific Bluefin Tuna | Aquarium | Pacific | Open sea | Near threatened |
| Pacific Sardine | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Open sea | Least concern |
| Palette Surgeonfish | Aquarium or Exhibit | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
| Red Lionfish | Aquarium | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Estuarine, Reef | Least concern |
| Sailfin Snapper | Aquarium | Asia, Australasia | Reef | Least concern |
| Schooling Bannerfish | Aquarium or Exhibit | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
| Threespot Damselfish | Aquarium or Exhibit | Indian Ocean, Pacific | Mangrove, Reef | Least concern |
| West Indian Manatee | Aquarium | North America, South America | Estuarine, Lakes and rivers, Mangrove, Open sea, Wetlands | Vulnerable |
| Yellow Tang | Aquarium or Exhibit | Pacific | Reef | Least concern |
Sources & verification
- Planet Zoo 2 news: “Creature Feature: Aquariums”, July 30, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 official Zoopedia: 130 species listed, read October 11, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 on YouTube: “Feature Focus – Awesome Aquatics” (2:39), July 21, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 on YouTube: “Official Zoo Tour Gameplay” (35:11), June 24, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 on YouTube: “Sandbox Gameplay Showcase” (1:07:46), August 28, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 official site: Features and scenery themes, read October 11, 2026Official · 2026-10-11