Heyyyy fellow fish tank addicts! It’s your girl Sam here—yes, the same Sam who has spent an embarrassing amount of money on this game in the past and then swore a blood oath in front of my clownfish Nemo (RIP my wallet) that I would NEVER pay for gems again. I’m now two years clean, sitting on 18,000+ gems, unlimited lives for practical purposes, and enough boosters to make a whale jealous. And I’m about to spill every single trick that actually works.

Grab your coffee (or tea, no judgment), because this is the real-deal, no-clickbait, no-“just-use-this-hack-tool” nonsense guide.

1. The Daily Login Streak Is Your New Religion

I’m not even kidding—I have logged in every single day for 1,147 days as of today. That little calendar? Worship it. Day 28 gives 100 gems. Day 30 gives a Diamond Booster pack. The streak rewards reset every 30 days, so even if you miss one day (I once almost died when Wi-Fi cut out on a cruise), you still get juicy stuff the next cycle. Set an alarm. Tattoo it on your arm. Whatever it takes.

2. Vortex Event = Free Gems on Tap

Remember when the Vortex event first dropped and we all lost our minds? Yeah, still my favorite thing in the entire game.
Here’s my exact routine that nets me 400–600 gems every single event (they run every 10–14 days):

• Play only Hard levels (the fish icons with the little crown). They give 2 fish per win instead of 1.

• Use the Lightning + Bomb pre-level booster combo (you get tons free from daily rewards). One-shots most boards.

• Never use extra moves. Ever. Just restart until you win in 22 or less.

• Save your Vortex lives (you get 10 per day). I usually burn all 10 in the first two days on Hard levels, then coast on regular levels the rest of the event.

Last Vortex I got 680 gems and cried actual tears of joy.

3. Team Chests Are Stupidly Broken (In a Good Way)

If you’re not in an active team, you’re throwing away 300–500 gems a month. Period.
I’m in a team called “Gem Hoarders Anonymous” (yes I made it, yes we’re full, sorry). We open a Diamond chest every single week. That’s:

• 150 gems per Diamond chest

• 4-5 chests a month

• Plus the random Golden chests on the way

Just spam “Hi” in chat once a week so you don’t get kicked. That’s literally all you have to do.

4. The “Watch 30 Ads a Day” Method (Yes, Really)

Okay, hear me out—I know ads suck. But I do this while watching Netflix on my second monitor. Here’s what you can actually get:

• 5 lives = watch 1 ad (do this whenever you’re below 10 lives)

• 1 hour unlimited lives = watch 1 ad (stack these like a maniac)

• Random reward (often 50–100 coins or a booster) = watch ad after failing a level

• Daily bonus wheel spin #2 = watch ad

I cap it at 30 ads a day because that’s when my soul starts leaving my body. That’s still 3–6 hours of unlimited lives daily plus extra goodies.

5. The Secret “Competition” Tab Exploit

Most people ignore the Competition tab after the first day. Big mistake.
If you finish in the top 10–20 (super easy in the lower leagues), you get:

• Gold league → 150–300 gems

• Diamond league → 500–800 gems

I purposely let myself drop to Gold league every few months, smash it with saved boosters, collect 300 easy gems, then climb back up. Rinse and repeat. The game never punishes you for dropping leagues.

6. Mini-Games Are Low-Key Gold Mines

• Treasure Hunt → always finish it (easy 100–200 gems)

• Firework Festival → spam the x5 multiplier button, win 3–4 Diamond boosters every time

• Coral Reef mini-game → just keep playing, you’ll eventually hit the 500-gem jackpot (happened to me twice)

7. The “Hoard Everything Like a Dragon” Rule

• Never spend gems on extra moves. Ever. Restart the level.

• Never buy decorations early—they go on sale later for 50–70% off.

• Only use gems to buy the 5th builder slot when it’s on sale (best purchase I ever made).

• Save gems until you have 2,000+ and then splurge on the Golden Ticket when it drops (23,000 coins, 15 diamonds, unlimited lives for 30 days… chef’s kiss).

Final Tally of My Current Stockpile (Proof I’m Not Lying)

• Gems: 18,462

• Diamonds: 127

• Bombs: 89

• Gloves: 214

• Lives: Effectively unlimited because I stack unlimited hours like a psycho

If a recovering gem-buying addict like me can do it, so can you. Stop giving Playrix your paycheck. Start hoarding like the greedy little fishkeeper you were born to be.

Drop your own best tips below—I’m always looking for new ways to feed my addiction (the free way).

See you in the Vortex, legends! 🐡✨

— Sam
(Professional Fishdom degenerate & proud)