Will Tropical Fish Despawn in Minecraft?
The short answer is yes, tropical fish can despawn in Minecraft under certain circumstances. However, the despawning rules are a bit more nuanced than for other mobs, and understanding them is crucial for any aspiring Minecraft aquarium enthusiast.
Understanding Despawning in Minecraft
Before diving into the specifics of tropical fish, let’s briefly cover the general concept of despawning in Minecraft. Despawning is a mechanism by which the game removes mobs from the world to reduce lag and memory usage. This primarily affects hostile mobs like zombies, skeletons, and creepers, as well as some passive mobs that haven’t been specifically prevented from despawning.
Why does despawning occur? Minecraft worlds are vast, and if every mob that ever spawned remained present, the game would quickly become unplayable. Despawning allows the game to dynamically manage the mob population, ensuring a smoother experience.
When does despawning occur? Mobs that are eligible for despawning are checked periodically. If they are too far away from the player and haven’t been interacted with, they have a chance to despawn. The despawn radius is typically 128 blocks. This means that if a mob is further than 128 blocks from any player, it will despawn relatively quickly. If it is within 32 blocks of any player, it won’t despawn. Between 32 and 128 blocks, there’s a probability that the mob will despawn on each check.
Tropical Fish Despawning: The Specifics
Tropical fish are a type of passive mob in Minecraft, found primarily in warm ocean biomes. Unlike some passive mobs, they can despawn under the following conditions:
- Distance from Players: As with other despawnable mobs, tropical fish will despawn if they are too far from the player. The standard 128-block despawn radius applies. If you venture far away from an area where tropical fish have spawned, they are likely to despawn if they aren’t prevented from doing so.
- Natural Spawning: Tropical fish that spawn naturally in ocean biomes are generally susceptible to despawning. This means that if you simply find tropical fish swimming in the ocean and then move away, they are likely to disappear.
- Not Named: Unlike some other passive mobs, simply interacting with a tropical fish won’t prevent it from despawning. They need to be named with a name tag to be permanently protected.
Preventing Tropical Fish Despawning
The most effective way to prevent tropical fish from despawning is to apply a name tag. This is a crucial step for creating a lasting aquarium. Here’s how:
- Obtain a Name Tag: Name tags can be found in loot chests within dungeons, mineshafts, and other generated structures. They can also be obtained through fishing, albeit rarely.
- Acquire an Anvil: Craft an anvil using iron blocks and iron ingots.
- Rename the Name Tag: Place the anvil down and interact with it. Put the name tag in the anvil and rename it to whatever you desire.
- Apply the Name Tag: Hold the renamed name tag and right-click on the tropical fish. The name will appear above the fish, and it will now be permanently protected from despawning.
Another way to prevent tropical fish despawning is to keep them in a loaded chunk. Chunks are 16×16 block areas of the Minecraft world. When a player is near a chunk, it is “loaded,” meaning that the game actively keeps track of the entities within it. If you keep your aquarium close to your base and regularly visit the area, the chunks will remain loaded, and the fish are less likely to despawn, especially if also named. However, relying solely on chunk loading isn’t foolproof, and using name tags is the recommended method.
Tropical Fish Variants and Despawning
It’s important to note that tropical fish come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. These variants are randomly assigned when the fish spawns. The despawning rules apply equally to all variants. If you find a particularly rare or beautiful variant, make sure to immediately name it to prevent it from disappearing.
Considerations for Large Aquariums
If you’re building a large aquarium containing many tropical fish, the risk of despawning increases simply due to the higher number of fish involved. It’s crucial to name every single fish to ensure the stability of your aquarium. This can be a time-consuming process, but it’s a necessary investment to protect your collection. Furthermore, ensure your aquarium is in a chunk that is regularly loaded.
Impact of Game Difficulty
Game difficulty (Peaceful, Easy, Normal, Hard) does not affect the despawning of passive mobs like tropical fish. The despawning rules remain the same regardless of the difficulty setting.
Conclusion
While tropical fish can despawn in Minecraft, it’s easily preventable by using name tags. By understanding the despawning mechanics and taking the necessary precautions, you can create a vibrant and lasting aquarium filled with colorful tropical fish. Remember to prioritize naming your fish, especially if you have rare or valuable variants. Happy fish keeping!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can tropical fish despawn even if they are in a bucket?
No, tropical fish in a bucket will not despawn. Once a fish is in a bucket, it’s essentially an item, and items do not despawn. You can safely carry tropical fish in buckets for long distances without worrying about them disappearing.
2. Does the “keepSpawnLoaded” gamerule affect tropical fish despawning?
The keepSpawnLoaded gamerule affects whether the spawn chunks are always loaded. While this can indirectly help prevent despawning if your aquarium is located near the spawn chunks, it doesn’t directly prevent tropical fish from despawning. You still need to name them or keep them very close to the player.
3. If I breed tropical fish, will the babies despawn?
Yes, babies born of tropical fish also follow the same despawning rules. They will despawn if they are too far from the player and not named. Make sure to name the baby fish to keep them from disappearing.
4. Do tropical fish despawn faster than other mobs?
No, tropical fish despawn at the same rate as other mobs that are eligible for despawning. The despawning checks are consistent across all despawnable mobs.
5. Can I use commands to prevent tropical fish from despawning?
Yes, you can use the /data merge entity command to set the PersistenceRequired tag to 1 for a specific tropical fish. This will prevent it from despawning. You will need to know the entity ID of the fish. This is equivalent to using a nametag.
6. Do tropical fish despawn in multiplayer differently than in singleplayer?
The core despawning mechanics are the same in both singleplayer and multiplayer. However, in multiplayer, the game considers the distance to any player. This means that if any player is within the 128-block radius of a tropical fish, it will not despawn, regardless of whether the player who originally captured or bred the fish is present.
7. Can tropical fish despawn if they are contained in a completely enclosed space?
Yes, even if tropical fish are completely enclosed, they can still despawn if they are too far from the player and are not named. The enclosure prevents them from wandering away, but it doesn’t protect them from the despawning mechanics.
8. Will tropical fish despawn if I relog or exit the game?
Relogging or exiting the game doesn’t inherently cause tropical fish to despawn. The despawning process is triggered by distance from the player over time, not by game sessions. However, if you leave the area and the chunks containing the fish unload while you are offline, then the next time you log in, the fish might have despawned.
9. How can I find tropical fish easily?
Tropical fish are most commonly found in warm ocean biomes. Look for areas with coral reefs, as these are often teeming with tropical fish. Using potions of water breathing and night vision can make it easier to spot them.
10. Does the type of block the aquarium is made of affect despawning?
No, the type of block used to construct the aquarium has absolutely no impact on whether or not tropical fish will despawn. The only factors are distance from the player and whether the fish has been named.
11. Does the number of tropical fish in an aquarium affect the despawning rate?
No, the number of fish in an aquarium does not directly affect the despawning rate of individual fish. Each fish is evaluated independently based on its proximity to the player and whether it has a name tag.
12. If I use a lead to tie a tropical fish to a fence, will it despawn?
No, tying a tropical fish to a fence post with a lead will not prevent it from despawning unless the fish is also named. The lead will prevent the fish from moving beyond the fence post’s reach, but the despawning rules will still apply if the player moves too far away.
13. Do tropical fish in aquariums despawn if they are within the spawn chunks?
If your aquarium is located entirely within the spawn chunks, the chunks will always be loaded. While this reduces the chance of despawning, it’s still possible for un-named tropical fish to despawn. Nametags are the best way to prevent despawning!
14. If a tropical fish has a custom name applied via command block, does that prevent it from despawning?
Yes, applying a custom name to a tropical fish via a command block (using the /data merge entity command to modify the CustomName tag) does prevent it from despawning. However, the entity will only display this custom name if the CustomNameVisible tag is also set to 1b.
15. Does the biome in which the tropical fish is kept influence the despawning?
No, the biome where you keep the tropical fish does not affect its despawning. Despawning is solely determined by distance from the player and name tag status, regardless of the surrounding biome.