Chillquarium is a one man idle aquarium from Ben Reber, released 6 September 2023 and usually priced under six dollars. You buy booster packs of fish, drop them in a tank, and they grow on a wall clock whether the game is running or not. Grown fish either get sold for a lump sum or kept so they pay daily ticket money forever. There are 156 species across six packs, and each one can roll Painted, Golden or Rainbow colour variants behind long odds. Steam sits near 93 percent positive across more than 5,000 reviews, which tells you this is a screensaver you occasionally click rather than a game with a fail state.
Chillquarium features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.
Area Progression Order
| Order | Location | Difficulty | Key Rewards | Recommended Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starter Freshwater Tank | 0 to 1,000 dollars of net worth | Access to Freshwater Friends and Rivers and Ponds fish, first daily ticket income | Rare |
| 2 | Expanded Freshwater Tank | 1,000 to 200,000 dollars | 100 fish capacity, enough throughput to bulk open Rivers and Ponds | Rare |
| 3 | First Saltwater Tank | 200,000 to 50 million dollars | Reef Fellas storage, roughly 60 additional slots, entry to the high income economy | Common |
| 4 | Giants Tank | 50 million dollars and up | Giants species, the highest daily income per slot in the game | Common |
| 5 | Collection Screen | All stages | Species and variant completion tracking, a reason to keep opening packs after money stops mattering | Common |
Starter Freshwater Tank: Starting Area
The 50 slot tank you begin with. Capacity is the binding limit long before money is, so the two cheap upgrades come before anything else.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 0 to 1,000 dollars of net worth |
| Key Rewards | Access to Freshwater Friends and Rivers and Ponds fish, first daily ticket income |
| Recommended Build | Rare |
| Key Equipment | Rivers and Ponds pack |
What to Do Here
- Learn the basics of Real time fish growth. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
- Collect starting resources and your first equipment upgrade.
- Clear all main content before moving to Expanded Freshwater Tank.
- If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.
Expanded Freshwater Tank: Early Game
80 slots for 100 dollars and 100 slots for 200 dollars. Both upgrades pay for themselves within a day of ticket income, so there is no reason to delay them.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 1,000 to 200,000 dollars |
| Key Rewards | 100 fish capacity, enough throughput to bulk open Rivers and Ponds |
| Recommended Build | Rare |
| Key Equipment | Rivers and Ponds pack |
What to Do Here
- Focus on mastering Booster pack odds. It's critical from this point on.
- Farm for Rivers and Ponds pack if you don't have it yet.
- Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
- Prepare for the difficulty spike in First Saltwater Tank.
First Saltwater Tank: Mid Game
A six figure purchase that gates the top four packs. Sources disagree on the exact price across patches, so check the shop before committing your bank to a pack you cannot store.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 200,000 to 50 million dollars |
| Key Rewards | Reef Fellas storage, roughly 60 additional slots, entry to the high income economy |
| Recommended Build | Common |
| Key Equipment | Rivers and Ponds pack |
What to Do Here
- This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
- Freshwater Friends pack becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
- Master Painted, Golden and Rainbow variants for the boss encounters.
- Check our boss guide if you get stuck.
Giants Tank: Late Game
Late saltwater capacity built specifically for the Giants pack. Giant species take noticeably longer to reach adult size, so this tank sits idle for days at a time.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 50 million dollars and up |
| Key Rewards | Giants species, the highest daily income per slot in the game |
| Recommended Build | Common |
| Key Equipment | Freshwater Friends pack |
What to Do Here
- Full build optimization is expected by this point.
- Freshwater Friends pack should be your primary, fully upgraded.
- Tank capacity upgrades mastery starts mattering here.
- Farm resources for the push into Collection Screen.
Collection Screen: Endgame
The out of tank record of every species and variant you have ever owned. It tracks all 156 species plus their Painted, Golden and Rainbow forms, which is the real completion target.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | All stages |
| Key Rewards | Species and variant completion tracking, a reason to keep opening packs after money stops mattering |
| Recommended Build | Common |
| Key Equipment | Freshwater Friends pack |
What to Do Here
- This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
- See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
- The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
- Experiment with Mythic for variety once you've mastered the meta.
Exploration Tips
- Clear areas in order: Starter Freshwater Tank → Expanded Freshwater Tank → First Saltwater Tank → Giants Tank → Collection Screen. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
- Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
- Match your equipment: Some areas favor different equipment types.
- Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
- Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.
More Chillquarium Guides
- Chillquarium Chillquarium Overview
- Chillquarium Best Builds
- Chillquarium Tier List
- Chillquarium Walkthrough
- Chillquarium Beginner's Guide
- Chillquarium Tips & Tricks
- Chillquarium Weapons Guide
- Chillquarium Combat Guide
- Chillquarium Boss Guide
- Chillquarium Crafting Guide
- Chillquarium Classes & Characters
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