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The Unofficial 5-Step Guide To 'Breeding' Tropical Fish In Minecraft 1.20+ (The Farm Method)

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The quest to 'breed' Tropical Fish in Minecraft is one of the game's biggest misconceptions, leading countless players down a frustrating, dead-end path. As of the latest update in late 2025, the definitive, up-to-date answer is that Tropical Fish—unlike Cod and Salmon—cannot be bred using any food item. They are a passive mob that only appears through natural mob spawning mechanics. If your goal is to secure an endless supply of these colorful creatures for your aquarium or, more importantly, to fuel your Axolotl breeding operation, you must abandon the idea of traditional breeding and embrace the superior, AFK-friendly method: the Tropical Fish Farm.

This guide cuts through the outdated forum posts and misinformation to provide the single, most effective strategy for obtaining unlimited Tropical Fish in Minecraft 1.20 and beyond. This method leverages their specific spawning conditions, turning a natural phenomenon into a reliable, high-yield resource for Buckets of Tropical Fish.

The Definitive Truth: Why You Cannot Breed Tropical Fish

Before building your farm, it's crucial to understand the fundamental difference between the various aquatic mobs in Minecraft. This knowledge saves you hours of wasted time trying to feed them.

  • Cod and Salmon: These are the only two fish species in the game that can be traditionally bred. When you feed two adult Cod or Salmon their respective Raw Fish item, they enter 'Love Mode' and produce a baby.
  • Tropical Fish and Pufferfish: These two species are non-breedable. They do not have a designated food item that triggers 'Love Mode,' and therefore, they cannot produce offspring. The only way they enter the world is via natural mob spawning.

The only viable way to guarantee a continuous, large-scale supply of Tropical Fish is to create an environment where the game's mob cap is controlled, forcing the fish to spawn rapidly and repeatedly into a collection system. This is the essence of a Tropical Fish Farm.

Step 1: Locate the Optimal Spawning Biome

The efficiency of your farm is entirely dependent on its location. Tropical Fish only spawn in specific water biomes, making biome selection the most critical step.

Preferred Tropical Fish Biomes (High Spawn Rate)

  • Warm Ocean: This is the ideal location. Warm Oceans are characterized by their light blue water, sand floors, and, crucially, the presence of Coral Reefs. Tropical Fish spawn here in large groups (3–8 fish per group) and are the most common aquatic mob.
  • Lukewarm Ocean: A secondary, still viable location. The spawn rate is slightly lower than in a Warm Ocean.
  • Mangrove Swamp: In the Java Edition, Tropical Fish can also spawn in the water of a Mangrove Swamp biome, offering a land-based alternative to ocean building.
  • Lush Caves: Surprisingly, Tropical Fish can also spawn in the water within Lush Caves at any Y-level, providing a unique underground farming opportunity.

Crucial Note on Spawning Depth (Java Edition): For maximum efficiency, your farm's water should be positioned at Y-level 50 to 63, which is the prime spawning range for fish in the Java Edition.

Step 2: Understanding the Spawning Mechanics for the Farm

A Tropical Fish Farm is not an AFK fishing rod farm; it is a mob farm. It relies on the game's passive mob spawning rules.

  1. Water Source: Tropical Fish need a water source block to spawn in. They usually appear just below the water's surface.
  2. The Mob Cap: The game has a limited number of passive mobs (animals) that can exist near a player. To force new Tropical Fish to spawn, you must constantly clear out the mobs that have already spawned.
  3. Collection System: The farm works by creating a large, enclosed water area where fish spawn, and then using water flow to push the newly spawned fish into a central collection point (usually a dropper/dispenser system) where they can be captured with a Bucket of Tropical Fish.

Step 3: Building the Efficient Tropical Fish Farm (The Core Structure)

While designs vary, the most efficient farms follow a similar principle: a large, controlled spawning area above a hopper-fed collection system.

Essential Farm Materials Checklist

  • Solid Blocks (Stone, Dirt, etc.)
  • Water Buckets (to create a large, flowing water surface)
  • Hopper(s)
  • Chest(s)
  • Dispenser/Dropper (for automated fish capture in a bucket)
  • Redstone Dust, Comparator, Repeater (for the capture mechanism)
  • Fence/Wall (to contain the water flow)
  • Optional: Sea Lanterns or Glowstone (to light up the collection area and prevent hostile mob spawns)

Construction Overview

The standard design involves creating a large, flat, water-filled platform (e.g., 20x20 blocks) in the correct biome. The water flow is directed inward to a single 2x2 hole in the center. This hole leads down to the collection chamber. The fish spawn in the large area and are pushed by the water flow into the center. In the collection chamber, a dispenser, constantly triggered by a Redstone clock, attempts to capture the fish in an empty bucket, automatically turning it into a Bucket of Tropical Fish.

Step 4: Automating Capture and AFK Operation

The true power of the farm comes from automation, allowing you to go AFK (Away From Keyboard) and collect thousands of fish.

  1. The Bucket Dispenser: Place a dispenser facing the central collection block. Fill the dispenser with empty iron buckets. A simple Redstone clock (using a comparator and repeater) should be set up to constantly pulse the dispenser. Each pulse attempts to capture a fish, instantly giving you a full bucket.
  2. The Storage System: The dispenser should feed the full buckets into a hopper leading to a chest. The empty buckets can be looped back into the dispenser using another hopper line, creating a self-sustaining system.
  3. AFK Spot: Stand 24-32 blocks away from the spawning platform. This distance ensures that the fish are actively spawning, as passive mobs will not spawn too close to the player.

This method guarantees an infinite supply of Tropical Fish, which is the primary ingredient for Axolotl breeding. A single Bucket of Tropical Fish is the only item that will cause two Axolotls to enter 'Love Mode' and produce a baby.

Step 5: Maximizing Your Tropical Fish Yield

To get the most out of your farm, consider these advanced tips for maximizing the spawn rate and collection efficiency.

  • Clear the Surrounding Area: The passive mob cap is shared across all passive mobs (cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, etc.) within a large radius. For the highest yield, eliminate all other passive mobs in the area surrounding your farm (ideally a 128-block spherical radius) to ensure the mob cap is reserved almost exclusively for Tropical Fish spawns.
  • Use the Coral Reef: Building your farm directly over a natural Coral Reef in a Warm Ocean biome can slightly increase the concentration of Tropical Fish spawns due to the biome's higher spawn weight for this creature.
  • Bedrock Edition Differences: While the core spawning mechanics are similar, Bedrock Edition farms may require slightly different redstone timing or collection methods due to variations in mob AI and water flow. Always check a Bedrock-specific tutorial if you are not playing on Java Edition.

By shifting your focus from the impossible task of breeding to the highly efficient method of farming, you can secure all the Tropical Fish you need for your aquatic adventures and become the ultimate Axolotl breeder on your server.

how to breed tropical fish in minecraft
how to breed tropical fish in minecraft

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