Aquarium
If you have ever tamed a mighty Megalodon or a sleek Manta only to watch it flop uselessly on the shore, you know the struggle of housing aquatic life in ARK: Survival Ascended. The Aquarium add-on solves this problem with style. This mod introduces a massive, functional aquarium structure that lets you safely house and display your underwater tames right at your base. No more digging a giant pit or relying on glitchy water pens. With the Aquarium, you can build a stunning centerpiece that is both practical and visually impressive.
What Does the Aquarium Add-On Do?
The core feature is elegantly simple. When you place the Aquarium structure, the mod automatically generates a functional water volume inside the tank. This means your aquatic creatures have a safe, enclosed environment to swim in, complete with the correct water physics. If you demolish or destroy the aquarium, the internal water volume is completely removed from the server, leaving no ghostly water behind. This clean integration ensures server performance stays stable.
To unlock the crafting recipe, you need to reach Engram Level 75. This places the Aquarium as a mid-to-late-game project, perfect for players who have established a solid base and are looking to expand their collection of tames.
Key Features and Recent Updates
The developer has been hard at work polishing the experience. Recent updates have added two new sizes: a compact 2x2x2 Cube Aquarium and a larger Shasta Aquarium. The Cube variant now snaps to ceiling structures, making it much easier to create seamless, multi-tank expansions. You can also toggle the top ceiling on standard and Shasta models, and there is a handy teleport feature for quick rooftop access.
One of the most critical fixes addresses a frustrating bug where aquatic creatures could take environmental damage and instantly die during server restarts or unexpected crashes. This issue is now resolved, ensuring your prized tames survive the server's ups and downs.
Placement Restrictions (Version 46+)
To prevent tames from dying at the edges of large tanks, the placement rotation of bigger aquariums is temporarily locked to world absolute zero. While this restricts how you can rotate the structure, the safe survival zones inside the tank remain exactly as they were. The Cube Aquarium is unaffected and retains its free rotation. A permanent fix for full rotation is planned for version v90 and beyond.
Mod Compatibility and Server Stability
This add-on is designed for ARK: Survival Ascended and works with the current version of the game. The developer has also separated the previously bundled "Fishery Leash" into its own independent mod. This separation prevents technical conflicts and makes the Aquarium add-on more stable. If you are running a dedicated server, you will appreciate the fixes to water volume load delays and positional desync, which ensure the water plane is synchronized correctly between the server and all clients.
For the best experience, ensure your server and client are on the same game version. The mod's water volume is now attached directly to the water plane component, which prevents it from unloading at the edges of large tanks. This is a significant technical improvement that keeps your display running smoothly.
How to Install the Aquarium Mod
Getting started is straightforward. To download Aquarium, navigate to the mod's page on the platform you use for ARK: Survival Ascended. The process is simple: subscribe to the mod, and then add it to your server's mod list. If you are playing on a dedicated server, you will need to restart the server after adding the mod ID.
If you are looking for a more streamlined approach, the foxygame.net launcher simplifies the entire process. Its built-in add-on catalog lets you find Aquarium for ARK: Survival Ascended with a single click, and it handles version compatibility automatically, so you do not have to worry about mismatched updates breaking your server.
For a manual installation, here is a quick checklist:
- Locate your ARK: Survival Ascended mod folder.
- Download the Aquarium mod files.
- Place the files in the correct directory.
- Launch the game and enable the mod in the host/local session settings.
Remember, the foxygame.net launcher also offers auto-updates for the mod, meaning you will always have the latest fixes without hunting for patches. This is a huge time-saver if you manage multiple servers.
Future Plans and Community Requests
The core system is now stable, and the developer is looking to expand the line-up. Future plans include larger tanks suitable for Mosasaurus or Tusoteuthis, as well as smaller and shallower options. The developer is actively taking requests for new tank sizes in the mod's comments section. When you leave a request, describe your ideal size in terms of ARK building blocks—for example, "X foundations wide/long and Y walls high"—to help visualize the dimensions.
The Aquarium add-on is a must-have for any survivor who wants to create a breathtaking aquatic exhibit. It is a robust, well-maintained mod that solves a long-standing problem with elegance. Whether you are showing off a school of piranhas or a single, terrifying Mosasaur, this mod gives you the perfect stage. With its recent stability fixes and the promise of new sizes on the horizon, there has never been a better time to build your own underwater kingdom.
So dive in, place your tank, and watch your aquatic tames thrive in a safe, beautiful environment. Your base will never look the same again.