TROPICAL FISH
1 trade involving this item across 1 trader.
View on Items Database →- Last checked
- 11 August 2026
- Java Edition
- 26.2, 1 of 1 row found
- Bedrock Edition
- 1.26.30.5, 1 of 1 matching
- Edition differences
- none, both editions match
Tropical Fish in villager trading
Tropical Fish is a raw-material trade: villagers pay emeralds for it, which makes it a candidate for an automated emerald farm rather than something you purchase back.
No recipe in Java 26.2 produces it: it drops from tropical fish.
Villagers that buy Tropical Fish(you give Tropical Fish, get emeralds)
| Profession | Level | You Give | You Get | Villager XP |  Java 26.2 |  Bedrock 1.26.30.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisherman | Expert | Tropical Fish |  | 30same in Bedrock | verified | verified |
The 1 trade on this item was read out of the trade files Minecraft Java 26.2 ships in its own data, checked on against the item, both amounts and the use limit. Bedrock 1.26.30.5 is read as well, and where it disagrees the row says how. Which files, and what is not checked.
Your odds of finding Tropical Fish
Every villager listed below shows this trade: their tier draws its whole pool, so there is nothing to roll for. What is left to plan is throughput.
| Villager | Tier | Villagers with this offer | Rolls to see it | Most from one villager | After a cure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisherman | Expert | 100% (1 in 1)same in Bedrock | none, it is always there | 24 emeralds a day2 restocks a day | 1 tropical fishwas 6, 5 off |
The chance is the draw size over the pool size in the game's own trade set file for that tier. The Bedrock line under it is the same sum on Bedrock's own table, which splits a tier into groups and draws out of each one separately, so the two editions often disagree. The day figure is the trade's use limit times the 2 restocks a villager is allowed per in-game day (Villager.allowedToRestock), so it is a ceiling and not an average: it assumes you are there for every restock. The cure column is 125 reputation times the trade's own multiplier, floored, and never takes a cost below one. Counted from the game's own draw sizes. How that check works.
Who trades Tropical Fish, and at what price
To sell Tropical Fish for emeralds, bring it to a Fisherman at the Expert tier (6 units per 1 emerald).
Is trading Tropical Fish worth it?
The best rate any villager offers is an emerald per 6 tropical fish, from the Fisherman, and 6 of the other 10 pay out faster. No villager sells tropical fish back, so it is emeralds out and nothing in.
 | Acacia BoatMaster | 1 | |
 | Dark Oak BoatMaster | 1 | |
 | Jungle BoatMaster | 1 | |
 | Oak BoatMaster | 1 | |
 | Spruce BoatMaster | 1 | |
 | PufferfishMaster | 4 | |
| Tropical FishExpert | 6 | |
 | CoalNovice | 10 | |
 | Raw SalmonJourneyman | 13 | |
 | Raw CodApprentice | 15 | |
 | StringNovice | 20 |
Tropical Fish against the other 71 ways to earn an emerald
One slot at the Fisherman takes 6 tropical fish a trade, 12 trades, 12 emeralds. 8 of the 72 villagers that pay emeralds, emptied out:
| A full slot of | To | Emeralds | Worth in Tropical Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 acacia boats | master Fisherman | 12 | 72 tropical fish |
| 48 iron ingots | apprentice Armorer | 12 | 72 tropical fish |
| 96 leather | novice Leatherworker | 16 | 96 tropical fish |
| 160 clay balls | novice Mason | 16 | 96 tropical fish |
| 240 beetroot | novice Farmer | 16 | 96 tropical fish |
| 256 andesite | journeyman Mason | 16 | 96 tropical fish |
| 264 nether wart | master Cleric | 12 | 72 tropical fish |
| 512 sticks | novice Fletcher | 16 | 96 tropical fish |
12 acacia boats against 384 sticks for the same 12 emeralds, 32 times the carrying, and the shortest wait is the Leatherworker at 7.5 real minutes of shelf, gathering not counted. Tropical Fish itself pays 6 an emerald, so 23 of the 72 ask less and 46 ask more.
How Tropical Fish trading works
Every tropical fish offer here locks after 12 uses, and a villager restocks up to twice per Minecraft day, so one is good for 24 of these trades a day and no more.
The earliest tropical fish shows up is the Fisherman's Expert tier, level 4 of five, which a villager reaches at 150 trade experience. A freshly employed one is 3 tiers short of offering tropical fish at all.
How long Tropical Fish takes in real time
72 tropical fish empty one slot at the Fisherman, 2400 ticks (Villager.allowedToRestock) at 20 a second (TickRateManager) refill it 2 real minutes later, and the 24000-tick villager day (Timelines) holds 2 of those fills in 20 real minutes.
So one fisherman moves 144 tropical fish against 24 emeralds a Minecraft day, 6 tropical fish every 50 real seconds, 1.2 emeralds a real minute. 64 tropical fish fit inside one of those slots, refill untouched.
Tips for trading Tropical Fish
- One villager, one restock: the Fisherman pays an emerald per 6 tropical fish and that slot runs 12 trades, so 72 tropical fish is all one will take before it locks, for 12 emeralds in total.
- Where they go back: that Fisherman also sells campfires at 2 emeralds each, its cheapest offer.
- Also on the Fisherman's list: pufferfish, oak boat, spruce boat, jungle boat, acacia boat, dark oak boat.
Tropical Fish trading FAQ
How many tropical fish make an emerald?
Which villager sells Tropical Fish?
Same trader, other items
The Fisherman works at a barrel and also trades:
Bucket of Cod
Cooked Cod
Cooked Salmon