Requesting a missing species

If a fish, shrimp, snail or crayfish isn't in the Fish Species library, you can ask us to add it. Our team checks the care details by hand. When it's added you get a notification, bubbles and the Cartographer trophy, and the species becomes available in the Tank Builder too.

How do I request a species?

1. Sign in.
2. Open the request form in one of these ways:
   • At the bottom of Fish Species, under Don't see a fish?, tap Request a species.
   • Search Fish Species for the fish. If nothing matches, the form opens automatically with your search filled in.
   • In the Tank Builder species search, tap Request it and earn bubbles (when nothing matches) or Not the one? Request "[your search]" (when there are matches but not the right one).
3. Fill in the form (see the next section).
4. Tap Send request.

You'll see Request sent and "We'll check its care details and add it. You'll get a notification, bubbles and a trophy when it's in the library."

What goes in the species request form?

The form has three boxes:

• Name you know it by (required): for example "Golden Leopard Dojo Loach". It must be at least 3 characters, up to 80.
• Scientific name, if you know it (optional): up to 100 characters. This helps us find the right animal fast.
• Anything that helps us find it (optional): where you saw it, what it looks like, a trade name or code. Up to 500 characters.

Under the button you'll see "Bubbles + trophy when it's added" as a reminder. Tap Cancel to close the form without sending (the Cancel button doesn't appear when the form opened automatically from an empty search).

What happens after I request a species?

Our team reviews every request by hand. One of three things happens:

• It's added. We create a new species page with its care details. You get a notification, bubbles and the Cartographer trophy, and it shows up in Fish Species and the Tank Builder right away.
• It's another name for a fish we already have. We add the name you used to that species (so searching it finds the right fish) instead of making a new page. Bubbles are only given when a new species is added.
• It's turned down. For example, if it isn't a freshwater species, or the name doesn't match a real animal. Our team can include a short note explaining why.

These notifications appear under the Trophies filter on your notifications page. See Notifications.

What do I earn for requesting a species?

When a species you requested is added to the library you earn:

• Bubbles, once per added request. See Bubbles.
• The Cartographer trophy (in the Library & Glossary section of your trophy cabinet). See Trophies.

You'll see a "You earned bubbles" notification, and if the bubbles move you into a new tier you'll also get a tier-up notification and email.

Can I request saltwater fish or plants?

The library is for freshwater aquarium species (fish, shrimp, snails and crayfish, with a few brackish species). Saltwater fish aren't part of it, so a request for one is likely to be turned down. Plants aren't in the species library either.

Who owns a species I suggest?

The Terms treat species suggestions like other library submissions: once we accept one for the library, it belongs to Underground Aquarium and we can use and change it as we choose. Suggestions we turn down stay yours.

Can I see or cancel my species requests?

There's no page listing your requests and no way to cancel or edit one after sending. If you made a mistake, send a corrected request with a note, or email support@undergroundaquarium.com.

Should I check before requesting a species?

Yes, it saves time. Before requesting:

1. On Fish Species, make sure the group filter is set to All.
2. Try the scientific name, other common names, or one distinctive word.
3. For plecos, try the L-number with its leading zero, like L046.

See Searching the Fish Species directory for more search tips.

Common problems

The form says "Sign in to request a fish. You earn bubbles and a trophy when it's added." You're signed out. Tap Sign in, then open the form again.

"Enter the fish's name." The name box is empty or shorter than 3 characters. Type the name you know it by.

"Couldn't send that. Please try again." or another error. Check your connection and try again. If it keeps happening, email support@undergroundaquarium.com with the fish name.

The Send request button is grayed out. The form is still checking that you're signed in, or it's sending. Wait a moment.

I requested a fish but haven't heard back. Requests are reviewed by hand, so it can take a while. You'll get a notification when it's decided.

I didn't get bubbles for my request. Bubbles are only given when a new species is added. If your request turned out to be another name for a species we already had, or was turned down, there are no bubbles.