Comparison

Tropical Fish Tank vs Idle Aquarium

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Tropical Fish Tank

Easily maintain a virtual freshwater tropical fish tank on your smartphone. Enjoy beautiful 3D graphics of fish and plants, with simple controls for feeding and cleaning. Includes a clock mode and a notification system to help you remember daily care.

Highlights
  • Realistic 3D fish and plant graphics
  • Simple swipe and tap controls
  • Table clock mode
  • Earn points for fish care
  • Unlock new fish with points
  • Adjustable fish population
  • Background music and notifications
Features
Read full description

You can easily keep freshwater tropical fish in your smartphone. Enjoy looking at the beautiful fish and aquatic plants. In clock mode, you can enjoy it as a substitute for a table clock. After cleaning and feeding, all you have to do is look at the fish. Even people who do not have time can easily raise tropical fish. Let’s take care of the fish once a day. Even if you forget to take care of it, the fish are fine. FEATURES • Amazing 3D graphics • Simple Control. Swipe to cleaning, tap to feed. • There is a table clock mode • If you take care of fish, you will get points • You can add new fish by points • You can adjust number of fish • Comfortable background music • There is a notification function so that you do not forget to feed TYPE OF FISH AND SHRIMPS • Neon Tetra • Cardinal Tetra • Rummy Nose Tetra • Glow Light Tetra • Green Neon Tetra • Albino Neon Tetra • Black Phantom Tetra • Red Phantom Tetra • Rasbora Espei • Boraras Brigittae • Eyespot Rasbora • Microdevario kubotai • Galaxy Rasbora • German Blue Ramirezi • Electric Blue Ramirezi • Golden Honey Dwarf Gourami • Cobalt Blue Dwarf Gourami • Sunset Dwarf Gourami • Wild Cherry Shrimp • Red Cherry Shrimp • Yellow Cherry Shrimp • Blue Velvet Shrimp • Crystal Red Shrimp • Snowball Shrimp • Corydoras Sterbai • Corydoras Panda • Corydoras Adolfoi • Albino Corydoras • Red Platy • Sunset Platy • White Mickey Mouse Platy • Red Top Mickey Mouse Platy • Apistogramma Agassizii Double Red • Apistogramma Agassizii Fire Red • Dwarf Puffer PAID FEATURES • 10 background images • 7 background musics • Automatic feeding • No Ads Recommended for people who •want to keep pets but cannot •are not good at games •like taking care of living things •is tired from work, study, child care

About

Idle Aquarium

Build and manage a thriving aquarium, attracting visitors and collecting diverse aquatic life. Upgrade exhibits, research marine species, and expand your facilities to earn money and become a wealthy aquarium tycoon.

Highlights
  • Build and upgrade aquarium exhibits
  • Attract and keep guests happy
  • Collect diverse fish species
  • Upgrade tanks and facilities
  • Expand with new exhibits and gift shop
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Idle Aquarium! Build a fin-tastic aquarium brimming with aquatic life and reel in the money! • Start small Start with a small exhibit where visitors can see the fish in your collection and use their donations to improve your aquarium! • Attract guests Decorate and improve your reception in order to attract more customers and keep them happy through aquatic research and happy marine life. More visitors means more donations for your aquarium! • Collect fish Sail away to discover new fish species that you can include in your aquarium exhibits and bring in rarer and legendary fish... is that a Kraken?! • Upgrade tanks Buy new fish tanks and improve the existing ones so that you can accommodate even more fish. Adding tank decoration or information stands will make customers even happier, which will translate into more donations! • Expand Upgrade your gift shop by adding new sale items or improving the existing ones. You can also add other exhibits rooms to host other species such as otters, penguins or lobsters. Your customers will appreciate it and will spend more money! Take your aquarium to the next level and become rich!

Screenshots

Tropical Fish Tank4 screens
Idle Aquarium4 screens

Verdict

The call

Tropical Fish Tank and Idle Aquarium both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of Tropical Fish Tank's written reviews are positive against 53% of Idle Aquarium's. Idle Aquarium's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (5.1K vs 612). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Tropical Fish Tank sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Idle Aquarium sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Tropical Fish Tank against 4.8 for Idle Aquarium. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Idle Aquarium has 5.1K ratings behind it against 612, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Tropical Fish Tank's written reviews are positive against 53% of Idle Aquarium's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tropical Fish Tank ships an update every 2 months, Idle Aquarium every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Tropical Fish Tank versus Idle Aquarium: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTropical Fish TankIdle Aquarium
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (612 ratings)4.8 (5.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews — better53.1% of reviews
Number of ratings6125.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size127 MB311 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHimitsu Lab Inc.Playstack Ltd

Customer experience

Tropical Fish Tank

All ratings612 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral5.2%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral7.6%
Negative10.6%

Idle Aquarium

All ratings5,056 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.6%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews207 reviews
Positive53.1%
Neutral15.9%
Negative30.9%

User reviews

Tropical Fish Tank

From 612 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Realistic and high-quality fish graphics and animations
  • 😌 Highly calming and relaxing experience
  • 🎵 Soothing background music and sound effects
  • 📱 Works offline without internet connection
  • 🐟 Diverse variety of fish species available

Room to improve

  • 💸 High pricing for individual fish purchases
  • 📺 Excessive and frequent advertisements
  • 🐟 Fish cluster at top of tank, blocking visibility
  • 🔒 Limited monetization options for earning coins
  • 📱 Portrait-only orientation, no landscape mode

Idle Aquarium

From 5.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
  • 🚀 Smooth performance and animations
  • 💎 Cute and appealing aquarium design
  • 🤑 Rewarding progression system

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Limited content and short playtime
  • 📺 Excessive use of ads
  • 🔒 Issues with purchased content not carrying over
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches affecting gameplay

Bugs and requests

Tropical Fish Tank

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game glitches at random times
  • Fish occasionally disappear off-screen
  • Frozen or non-functional ads
  • Menu buttons remain visible after purchase

Requested features

20 requests
  • Multiple aquarium tanks
  • More fish species (Bettas, Angelfish, Discus, Mollies, Rainbow Sharks, Guppies, Gouramis, Cichlids, Goldfish, Danios, Swordtails, Parrots, Plecos, Barbels, Corydoras varieties, Snails, Shrimp varieties)
  • Landscape/horizontal orientation mode
  • Ability to sell or remove fish
  • Physical decorations and tank customization (rocks, driftwood, plants placement)
Show 15 more
  • Animated water plants and flowing water effects
  • Fish tank depth perception (fish swimming in/out of background)
  • More BGM options and sound variations
  • Ability to hide menu buttons
  • Fish species compatibility system
  • Live food options (blood worms, brine shrimp)
  • Increased fish personality variations
  • Marimo moss balls
  • Snails and additional invertebrates
  • Saltwater/marine fish version
  • Pond fish version (koi, goldfish)
  • Corydoras-focused specialized app
  • Spanish language support
  • Sound in silent/mute mode
  • Fish size information in shop

Idle Aquarium

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Trawler feature not working as intended
  • Purchased ad-removal not persisting across sessions
  • Freezing and crashing issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • More fish and aquarium types to unlock
  • Ability to customize tanks and aquarium layout
  • Offline progress and rewards
  • Improved idle/passive income generation

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tropical Fish Tank

One-time1
  • Premium Pack$6.99
11 purchases

Idle Aquarium

One-time11
  • Small Gem Bundle$1.99
  • Bundle of small fish$1.99
  • Bundle of medium fish$2.99
Show 8 more
  • Earnings Booster!$2.99
  • Gem Bundle$4.99
  • Basic Bundle$4.99
  • Super Earnings Booster!$4.99
  • Welcome Bundle$8.99
  • Remove Adverts$9.99
  • Mega Earnings Booster!$9.99
  • Master Bundle$19.99

Questions

Is Tropical Fish Tank free?
Tropical Fish Tank is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Idle Aquarium free?
Idle Aquarium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tropical Fish Tank or Idle Aquarium?
Idle Aquarium is rated higher. Tropical Fish Tank averages 4.7 out of 5 from 612 ratings, while Idle Aquarium averages 4.8 from 5.1K ratings.
Do Tropical Fish Tank or Idle Aquarium have ads?
Both Tropical Fish Tank and Idle Aquarium show ads.
Which is updated more often, Tropical Fish Tank or Idle Aquarium?
Tropical Fish Tank ships an update every 2 months, and Idle Aquarium every 3 weeks. Most recently, Tropical Fish Tank was updated on September 21, 2026 and Idle Aquarium on September 22, 2026.

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