Bubble tiers and milestones

Your bubble balance places you on a 21-rung ladder that runs from the surface of the ocean down to the deepest trench. Each tier has a name, a level number and its own badge color. For how to earn bubbles, see Bubbles.

What are all the bubble tiers?

You reach a tier when your balance hits its number:

Everyone starts in Tide Pool. Leviathan is meant to be very hard to reach.

How does my tier show on my profile?

Your badge on your profile and public profile shows your balance, then your tier and level, for example "1,340 bubbles · Open Water (level 8 of 21)". The bubble icon and number take on your tier's color, shifting from pale blues near the surface through greens, purples and pinks to gold at the deepest tiers.

On a computer, hover over the badge to see your exact balance, tier and rank (for example "rank 8/21") and how many bubbles you need for the next tier ("460 to Blue Hole"). At Leviathan it says "top tier".

How many bubbles do I need for the next tier?

Subtract your balance from the next tier's number in the table. For example, with 420 bubbles you're in Lagoon (300), and Coral Reef needs 500, so you're 80 away. The hover text on your badge does this sum for you.

What happens when I reach a new tier?

You get two alerts:

• A New tier notification in your bell, "New tier:" followed by the tier name, saying "Your bubbles carried you into" the tier. Keep it up!
• An email with the subject "You reached" followed by the tier name, showing your balance and a See your profile button.

These are sent once per tier, the first time you reach it. If you dip below and climb back, you aren't alerted again for the same tier. You can turn the in-app notification off under Bubbles in your notification settings.

Can my tier go down?

No. Once you've reached a tier you keep it, even if Sink votes or a correction later drop your balance below that tier's number. Your badge keeps showing the highest tier you've reached, while the balance number shows your actual current bubbles.

This means you might see a balance below your tier's number, for example "480 bubbles · Coral Reef", after losing a few bubbles. You'll need to climb past the next tier's number to move up again.

Can I skip a tier?

Yes. If one big award takes you past more than one tier at once, you land in the highest tier your balance reaches, and you're alerted about that tier.

What are bubble milestones?

Milestones are one-time bonus awards for reaching a count:

• Forum posts: 10, 50 and 100 posts.
• Upvotes received on your forum posts: your first, then 50, 250 and 1,000.
• Visit streaks: 7, 30 and 100 days in a row.
• Firsts: first thread, first forum post, first saved tank, first tank with species, first public tank and first water test.

Each milestone pays out once. The bonus lands automatically when you reach it; awards of 10 bubbles or more also send a You earned bubbles notification. Separately from bubbles, many of the same achievements also count toward Trophies.

Do tiers unlock anything?

Tiers are recognition. They show how much you've contributed, on your profile for everyone to see. They don't unlock extra features or discounts.

Common problems

My balance is lower than my tier's number. That's expected after losing some bubbles. Your tier never drops once you've reached it.

I reached a new tier but didn't get the notification. Check Bubbles is switched on in your notification settings, and check your email (including spam). The alert is only sent the first time you reach each tier.

The badge says "level" but the hover says "rank". They're the same number, your position on the 21-tier ladder.