# Aquarium Planner AR — See your tank in your space

> Augmented reality aquarium design and visualization tool. (iPhone/iPad app by John Ostler.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquarium-planner-ar/id1290236851 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [John Ostler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279335874)
- Category: Utilities, Photo & Video
- Price: $1.99
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.5 · 1 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-08-03
- Data updated: 2026-08-24
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquarium-planner-ar/id1290236851/reviews.md

## What is Aquarium Planner AR?

Stop guessing. Start planning. See your dream tank before you buy.

Ever walked into a fish store, fallen in love with a 125-gallon reef setup, then realized you have no idea if it’ll actually fit between your couch and that lamp your partner insists on keeping? We’ve all been there. Time to end the “measure twice, buy once, return it anyway” cycle.

Aquarium Plan lets you design custom aquariums and visualize them in your actual space using augmented reality, no water damage, no arguing with store return policies.

DESIGN YOUR PERFECT TANK

Build it your way with pro-level customization:
• Custom Dimensions: Rimless perfection from nano cubes to room dividers (we support your poor life choices)
• Overflow Boxes: Center back, corner, full ghost overflow—dial in that reef-ready plumbing like a boss
• Substrate Colors: Natural sand, black sand, planted soil, or that coral sand you swore would raise pH “just a little”
• Lighting: Pendant or strip LEDs with blue/white ratio control. Even has night mode for coral viewing after dark
• Equipment: Place powerheads and gyres exactly where you want them (chaotic flow pattern not included)
• Aquascaping: Procedurally generated rock formations with realistic caves and porous structure
• Livestock: Watch chromis damsels school around your rockwork (more fish coming soon, maybe corals too?)

SEE IT IN YOUR SPACE (THE MAGIC PART)

Use AR to place your design in your living room, bedroom, or that weird corner of the office your boss doesn’t know about yet. Walk around it. Check clearances. Make sure it doesn’t block the TV during football season (critical).

See if your stand actually fits under that low ceiling. Confirm the overflow won’t smack into the wall. Visualize whether “just a little bigger” is actually going to work, or if your partner will stage an intervention.

SAVE YOUR DESIGNS
Create multiple designs and name them things like “The One I Can Actually Afford” and “The One I’ll Buy When My Tax Return Comes In.” Compare them side-by-side in 3D carousel cards. Show your family. Get buy-in before you’re knee-deep in silicone and regret.

BUILT BY A FELLOW AQUARIST
I’ve been in the hobby for over 20 years, and before this app, I used cardboard, tape, and Photoshop mockups to plan my dream tanks. It worked… eventually. But it took hours, never felt true-to-scale, and didn’t stop me from buying tanks that barely fit. So I built Aquarium Plan AR, because I needed it as much as you do.

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
AR is powerful, but not magic. Aquarium Plan AR works best in rooms with good lighting and clear textures—avoid glare or shiny floors. Move your camera around slowly to let it find surfaces and scale accurately. You might need to try a couple placements to get it perfect (kind of like aquascaping itself).

CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING
Like your reef, this app keeps growing. Every update adds new realism, customization, and smoother AR performance based on user feedback. You build better aquariums; I build a better app.

WHO THIS IS FOR
• First-time aquarists trying to figure out what “display tank dimensions” actually means
• Seasoned reefers planning their next upgrade (we see you eyeing that 300-gallon peninsula)
• Anyone who’s ever bought furniture online and had it arrive three sizes larger than the photos suggested
• People with spatial reasoning skills equivalent to a blind cave fish

Look, we get it. Buying an aquarium is expensive. Moving an aquarium is more expensive. Realizing it doesn’t fit after you’ve already filled it? That’s a story you’ll be telling at club meetings for years.

Try before you buy. Design before you regret. Plan before you panic.

Download Aquarium Plan AR and see your future tank in stunning augmented reality. Your back, your wallet, and your relationships will thank you.

For details regarding your privacy, see our privacy policy: http://aquariumapps.com/apps/aquarium-planner-ar/privacy-policy.html

## Key features

- Augmented reality visualization
- Custom aquarium dimensions
- Detailed design customization
- Aquascaping and livestock simulation
- Save and compare multiple designs
- AR placement in your space

## Recent user reviews (10 of 10)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquarium-planner-ar/id1290236851/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Potential is there

*2026-04-05*

Great idea and great app. I wish there would be the possibility to place corals on the rock scape I created. Like placing SPS and LPS corals of different colors and sizes so one could test how the reef tank would look like beforehand. I think many users would appreciate the possibility to place corals and coral heads within the tank. 
Everything else is on point, adjusting reef size of the tank and color as well as adding lights is terrific!

**Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback. Do you mean like placing corals? Or do you mean spot lights?

### 1/5 — DO NOT WASTE MONEY

*2025-02-18*

This is a terrible product. No instructions and the thing is just BROKEN

**Developer response:** Alll fixed in version 2 plus added a ton of new functionality. Please let me know if this solves all the issues you were experiencing. And thanks again for downloading!

### 1/5 — Does not work

*2021-11-17*

I downloaded the app, paid money… does not work. Can’t get past the screen prints for tank sizes. You are stuck on the “take a picture” section and won’t let you move forward.

**Developer response:** Yikes. What phone / iOS? Did you accept the camera permissions?

### 1/5 — Very disappointed

*2021-02-03*

In the description it is suggested you can design your own aquarium, put your own things into it however this is not the case.

**Developer response:** I’m not sure I understand what you mean by design. Do you mean filters or overflow colors? Hope to learn more.

### 1/5 — Esperaba otra cosa

*2021-01-20*

Solo es para hacerte a la idea de cómo queda un acuario en un espacio. App cara para lo que hace

### 2/5 — Needs more work

*2020-07-03*

Simplistic app but can be better. The AR lacks sensitivity to depth. So once you place the aquarium, it is always in the foreground. Makes it hard to visualize the tank in a room and how it fits with furniture.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the review! Apples adding more object exclusion to ARKit into the future. Hoping to add that is a feature as soon as it’s live. If you have other feedback it would be appreciated. Thanks!

### 1/5 — Cant plan it out right

*2020-03-20*

I think you should add more customization like being able to add fish and coral.

**Developer response:** I’d like to, but 1 Star for not having that feature seems a bit critical

### 1/5 — Doesn’t show the rendering

*2019-02-27*

I paid $20MXN for this app and I can’t use it for showing my clients their rendering of a vr tank... please fix this or I will ask for my money back

**Developer response:** I’m not sure I understand your use case. Is it that you have a 3d model already and you’re trying to import that model into the app? Currently the app only supports models made using the app.

### 4/5 — Pretty cool - hard to move

*2018-08-28*

Neat concept.  Missing ability to manually translate the tank in x, y and z coordinates. Virtual Buttons to do this would be nice vs dragging the model.  Rotation is there but does little good if the app doesn’t place it the correct spot at the start.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback. I’ve heard that from a few testers as well. I think the plane detection could be better as I just discovered a way to lock in the floor once it’s found. The only disadvantage is that if you want to go to another surface like a table you’d need to reset the detection. Thanks for the feedback! I’ll see what I can do!

### 1/5 — Broken viewing function

*2018-07-17*

The viewing aquarium function does not work, the screen goes white and that all.

**Developer response:** Is it possible you didn’t accept the permissions to let the app use the camera? Quick fix would be to delete the app and install again making sure you accept. If that’s not it, can you add in your review which device you’re using and possibly version of iOS? I haven’t come across this one yet and it’ll need quick squishing if it is a bug.

## Frequently asked questions about Aquarium Planner AR

### What is Aquarium Planner AR?

Aquarium Planner AR is a utility app that allows users to design custom aquariums and visualize them in their real-world space using augmented reality. It helps users plan their tank setup before making any purchases.

### How does the augmented reality feature work in Aquarium Planner AR?

The AR feature lets you place your designed aquarium in your room, allowing you to walk around it and check clearances. For best results, use in well-lit rooms with clear textures, and move your camera slowly to help the app find surfaces and scale accurately.

### What customization options are available for designing an aquarium?

Aquarium Planner AR offers pro-level customization including custom dimensions, overflow box types, substrate colors, lighting options (pendant/strip LEDs with night mode), equipment placement, and procedurally generated aquascaping.

### Can I save and compare different aquarium designs?

Yes, you can create multiple aquarium designs and name them. The app allows you to compare these designs side-by-side in 3D carousel cards, helping you make informed decisions.

### What are the system requirements for Aquarium Planner AR?

Aquarium Planner AR is available for iPhone and iPad and requires iOS 4+ for its augmented reality features. The app is designed for users aged 4 and up.

### How often is Aquarium Planner AR updated?

The app is continuously improving, with the latest version being 2.0.1, last updated on November 2, 2025. Updates add new realism, customization, and smoother AR performance based on user feedback.

### What is the price of Aquarium Planner AR?

Aquarium Planner AR is a paid application, costing $1.99. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements, providing a straightforward purchase experience.

### Why does Aquarium Planner AR have a low rating?

Aquarium Planner AR currently has a rating of 1.8 stars from 10 ratings. This low rating may reflect early user experiences or specific issues that the developer is working to address in future updates.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 2.0.1 — 2025-11-02

Version 2.0.0 is a complete app overhaul. Better AR positioning, more customization, more features, and a refined ui optimized for helping you dream your tank dreams. 2.0.1 adds glass width customization and configure glass panels using the same method of professional custom aquarium manufacturers.

### 2.0.0 — 2025-11-02

Version 2.0.0 is a complete app overhaul. Better AR positioning, more customization, more features, and a refined ui optimized for helping you dream your tank dreams.

### 1.0 — 2018-08-03

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

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## More apps by John Ostler

- [Drumline](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumline/id357815924)
- [Super Nano Trucks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/super-nano-trucks/id948313617)
- [Aquarium Camera](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquarium-camera/id1279335875)
- [Aquarium Timelapse](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquarium-timelapse/id1472069819)
- [Drumline Break Creator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumline-break-creator/id1507832622)

All apps by John Ostler: https://appshunter.io/developer/1279335874

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-24.*