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Who this is for: Minecraft players wanting to create aquariums or fish farms who need to understand the game’s fish mechanics.
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The Short Answer: No Direct Breeding
Unfortunately, you cannot breed fish or tropical fish in Minecraft using traditional breeding mechanics like you would with cows, pigs, or other farm animals. Fish don’t respond to food items, and there’s no way to make them reproduce naturally in the game.
Why Fish Breeding Isn’t Possible
Minecraft’s fish are classified as passive mobs, but they lack the breeding functionality that other passive mobs possess. When you try to feed them wheat, seeds, or any other item, they simply ignore you. The game’s code doesn’t include breeding behaviors for any fish species, including cod, salmon, pufferfish, or tropical fish.
Alternative Ways to Get More Fish
While you can’t breed fish, there are several effective methods to obtain them:
- Fishing with a rod: The classic method that yields fish items, not live fish
- Bucket collection: Use water buckets to capture live fish from oceans, rivers, and warm ocean biomes
- Natural spawning: Fish spawn naturally in appropriate water biomes, so you can always find more in the wild
- Trading: Some fisherman villagers offer fish-related trades
Working with Tropical Fish
Tropical fish are particularly interesting because they come in over 3,000 different color and pattern combinations. You’ll find them exclusively in warm ocean biomes, lukewarm oceans, and their deep variants. Each tropical fish has unique characteristics, making them popular for aquarium builds even though they can’t reproduce.
Building Fish Farms and Aquariums
Many players create elaborate aquarium systems by collecting fish in buckets and releasing them into custom-built tanks. While these fish won’t multiply on their own, you can maintain your collection by periodically adding new specimens from the wild. Remember that fish need at least a 2-block deep water source to survive and won’t despawn when placed in enclosed areas.
The community has long requested fish breeding as a feature, but for now, collection and careful management remain your best strategies for maintaining aquatic displays in your Minecraft worlds.
TL;DR
Fish and tropical fish cannot be bred in Minecraft – they lack breeding mechanics entirely. Instead, collect them with buckets from oceans or catch them with fishing rods.
