How to make a Bucket of Tropical Fish in Minecraft

This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft a bucket of tropical fish with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

In Minecraft, a bucket of tropical fish is a water bucket that has been filled with tropical fish that are still alive. This item can not be made with a crafting table or furnace. Instead, you need to find and gather this item in the game.

bucket of tropical fish

Let's explore how to make a bucket of tropical fish.

Supported Platforms

A bucket of tropical fish is available in the following versions of Minecraft:

Platform	Supported (Version*)
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	Yes (1.13)
Pocket Edition (PE)	Yes (1.4.0)
Xbox 360	Yes (TU69)
Xbox One	Yes (1.4.0)
PS3	Yes (1.76)
PS4	Yes (1.76)
Wii U	Yes (Patch 38)
Nintendo Switch	Yes (1.5.0)
Windows 10 Edition	Yes (1.4.0)
Education Edition	Yes (1.4.0)

* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.

Where to find a Bucket of Tropical Fish in Creative Mode

Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)

Here is where you can find a bucket of tropical fish in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.13 - 1.19	Miscellaneous
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.19.3 - 1.20	Tools & Utilities

Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)

Here is where you can find a bucket of tropical fish in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Pocket Edition (PE)	1.4.0 - 1.19.83	Items

Minecraft Xbox Editions

Here is where you can find a bucket of tropical fish in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Xbox 360	TU69	Miscellaneous
Xbox One	1.4.0 - 1.19.83	Items

Minecraft PS Editions

Here is where you can find a bucket of tropical fish in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
PS3	1.76	Miscellaneous
PS4	1.76 - 1.91	Miscellaneous
PS4	1.14.0 - 1.19.83	Items

Minecraft Nintendo

Here is where you can find a bucket of tropical fish in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Wii U	Patch 38	Miscellaneous
Nintendo Switch	1.5.0 - 1.19.83	Items

Minecraft Windows 10 Edition

Here is where you can find a bucket of tropical fish in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Windows 10 Edition	1.4.0 - 1.19.83	Items

Minecraft Education Edition

Here is where you can find a bucket of tropical fish in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Education Edition	1.4.0 - 1.17.30	Items

Definitions

Platform is the platform that applies.
Version(s) is the Minecraft version numbers where the item can be found in the menu location listed (we have tested and confirmed this version number).
Creative Menu Location is the location of the item in the Creative Inventory menu.

Required Materials to make a Bucket of Tropical Fish

In Minecraft, these are the materials you can use to craft a bucket of tropical fish:

1 Water Bucket

1 Tropical Fish

How to get a Bucket of Tropical Fish in Survival Mode

You can add a bucket of tropical fish to your inventory in Survival mode by catching a tropical fish in a water bucket. So let's get started!

1. Find a Tropical Fish

First, you need to find a tropical fish in your Minecraft world.

tropical fish

Tropical fish can usually be found in the Warm Ocean, Lukewarm Ocean and Deep Lukewarm Ocean biomes.

Warm Ocean

warm ocean biome

Lukewarm Ocean

lukewarm ocean biome

Deep Lukewarm Ocean

deep lukewarm ocean biome

2. Hold a Water Bucket

Next, select a water bucket in your hotbar so that you are holding it in your hand.

make tropical fish bucket

3. Use the Water Bucket on the Tropical Fish

While in front of the tropical fish, use the water bucket on the tropical fish. The game control to catch the tropical fish in the water bucket depends on the version of Minecraft:

For Java Edition (PC/Mac), right click on the tropical fish.
For Pocket Edition (PE), you tap on the tropical fish.
For Xbox 360 and Xbox One, press the LT button on the Xbox controller.
For PS3 and PS4, press the L2 button on the PS controller.
For Wii U, press the ZL button on the gamepad.
For Nintendo Switch, press the ZL button on the controller.
For Windows 10 Edition, right click on the tropical fish.
For Education Edition, right click on the tropical fish.

completed tropical fish bucket

It may take several attempts to catch the tropical fish in the water bucket. When you successfully catch the tropical fish, you will see the message "Bucket of Tropical Fish" appear on the screen and your bucket will look like it has a tropical fish inside. This tropical fish is still alive and can be released from the bucket whenever you want. This is a great way to move tropical fish around in the game.

Congratulations, you have made a bucket of tropical fish in Minecraft!