Player report
Why are my fish not eating or gaining XP?
There is no confirmed universal fix yet. Players report fish ignoring food and XP appearing stuck even after a long session, so treat this as a possible game-state or connection issue—not proof that the fish is permanently broken.
- 1Confirm that food has not been hidden in Settings and that the aquarium is active.
- 2Restart PC FISH, leave one fish visible with food, and check whether XP changes.
- 3If it still does not move, record the fish name, star level, platform, and time observed before reporting it.
Status note: No official root cause or fix confirmed as of Aug 31, 2026.
Official setting
How do I hide the default goldfish and food?
Use the hide-default-fish-and-food option added in Update 1.2. You do not need to delete the starter goldfish or remove food manually.
- 1Open the in-game Settings menu.
- 2Enable the option that hides the default goldfish and food.
- 3If the display does not update immediately, close and reopen the aquarium.
Status note: Feature confirmed in the official Update 1.2 notes.
Official fix
Why is the decoration Done button disabled?
Update 1.3.0 includes the fix for the case where changing the aquarium's vertical position prevents decoration placement from being confirmed. If this still happens, check that the live patch is installed before using workarounds.
- 1Update PC FISH to the current live build in Steam.
- 2Cancel decoration placement without discarding the decoration.
- 3Restore the aquarium vertical position, reopen decoration mode, and try again.
Status note: Fixed in Update 1.3.0; check the installed version first.
Player report
The taskbar icon appears, but where is the aquarium window?
This is currently a player-reported launch/window issue. First rule out an off-screen or hidden window before reinstalling or changing save files.
- 1Click the taskbar icon, then use Alt+Tab to look for the PC FISH window.
- 2Use Windows' Move command or temporarily disconnect a second monitor if the window may be off-screen.
- 3Verify the game files in Steam and restart Windows if the process stays open with no visible window.
Status note: No official cause or version-specific fix confirmed as of Aug 31, 2026.
Needs confirmation
Why does antivirus software flag PC FISH?
Some players report antivirus or Trojan warnings. A warning alone does not prove the file is malicious, but it should not be ignored or bypassed blindly.
- 1Confirm that the game came directly from Steam and verify its files in Steam.
- 2Update antivirus definitions and rescan the flagged file; review its exact path and detection name.
- 3Submit the file to the antivirus vendor as a possible false positive. Never whitelist copies from unofficial sites.
Status note: Player reports exist; disabling security software is not recommended.
Player report
Why do breeding or synthesis requests fail after moving from Mac to Windows?
Players report network errors after a Steam Cloud save moves between Mac and Windows. Reports do not yet establish whether the cause is Cloud sync, an older fish record, or the online service.
- 1Quit PC FISH on both computers and let Steam finish Cloud synchronization before reopening it.
- 2Keep the newest save if Steam asks which copy to use, and make a backup before resolving a conflict.
- 3Test a newly obtained fish and the affected older fish separately; report whether breeding and synthesis both fail.
Status note: Do not delete local or Cloud saves. No official repair path is published yet.
Player report
Why does one fish show a network error when others work?
A recent report specifically mentions the starter Blue Sapphire Damselfish failing during breeding or synthesis while other fish work. That pattern suggests a fish/save-record issue, but it is not officially confirmed.
- 1Test another fish first to confirm that the online service is reachable.
- 2Restart after Steam Cloud finishes syncing, then retry the affected fish once.
- 3Avoid repeated merges and include the fish name, origin platform, and error text in a bug report.
Status note: The scope and cause remain under community investigation.
Player report
Why is the interface tiny on a 4K display?
Players report that the aquarium and controls can appear too small at 4K. No official scaling fix has been confirmed in the reviewed notes.
- 1Increase Windows display scaling and restart PC FISH to see whether the UI follows the new scale.
- 2If it does not, test a lower display resolution while playing.
- 3Include resolution, Windows scale percentage, and monitor count when reporting the issue.
Status note: Workarounds may affect other apps; restore the old setting if the result is worse.