From animal wishlist to a testable zoo layout

1. Give the shortlist a purpose

Before selecting animals, write one sentence describing the part of the zoo you want to plan. “An aquarium route comparing different fish shapes” is more useful than “all the animals I like” because it tells you what to keep, compare or postpone. You can still keep a separate favourites collection without treating every favourite as a commitment for the same enclosure.

Choose a small first group that you can review individually. The aim is not a particular number of animals; it is to make sure every selection has a reason. A species can be a focal point, a contrast with the previous exhibit, or a topic for an interpretive sign. Those are your design choices, so label them as choices rather than attributing them to the game.

2. Check identity and edition before layout

Open the animal roster and compare both the common name and scientific name. Similar names can describe different animals: giant gourami and giant grouper are an especially useful check. Follow the individual profile or official source rather than transferring a value from a search result that merely contains the same word.

Then check the edition column. A Deluxe label is about access to that animal, not about its welfare or the difficulty of building for it. You can make a base-game collection first and compare it with an expanded collection. The edition guide keeps animal additions separate from scenery bonuses so that your shortlist does not accidentally become a misleading purchase recommendation.

3. Save a wishlist and understand what it does

In My animals, use the name, enclosure and edition filters to find each selection. Add the animal and check the collection count. Selections are saved in the current browser when storage is available. No account is required, but a browser reset or a different device will not automatically carry your saved collection across.

The share button creates a snapshot link. Sending it to a friend does not create a public post on this website. Later edits do not change a previously copied link. When opening someone else's link, you can preview the selection before choosing to merge it into your own collection. Keep a fresh link as a backup after meaningful changes and avoid confusing an old snapshot with your current plan.

4. Separate categories from compatibility

Use enclosure labels to find the right guide, not to approve combinations. Two animals marked Aquarium need individual checks before sharing a tank; two marked Habitat – Flying are not automatically suitable aviary companions. Natural range, diet and real-world group behaviour can help explain a species, but they do not replace the game's pairing evidence.

A practical note has three states: confirmed by the cited source, suggested by your design, or unknown. For example, an official enclosure category goes in the first state, your preferred viewing angle in the second, and an unverified minimum group size in the third. Keeping those states separate avoids giving an attractive drawing more authority than its evidence supports.

5. Use a decision worksheet

Copy the headings into your own notes. A blank field is useful: it records what still needs checking. Do not fill it with a value from the previous game, a real-world husbandry guide or an unsourced calculator merely to make the worksheet look complete.

6. Work through a comparison example

Suppose you are deciding between a blue-and-gold fusilier display and a giant grouper display. Read both profiles, save the two animals and record their sourced identities. Next write what each contributes visually to your route. You now have two alternatives to compare; you have not established a mixed-species tank.

Sketch a viewing route for each option without assigning invented water volumes. Put the unresolved stocking and companion questions in the worksheet. When verified game requirements become available, use them to decide which option fits the available space. If neither fits, revise the layout or species choice rather than adjusting an unsupported number until a calculator gives the answer you wanted.

7. Record a repeatable game test

Once you can inspect the relevant build, record its version and the starting enclosure state. Change one variable at a time: for example, a layout feature or group composition. Note the game's reported requirements and result before and after that change. This is a method for collecting evidence, not a promise about which control the game will expose.

Keep your observation narrow. A pairing that appeared to work in one setup should include that setup and observation limits. After a patch, review any calculation that depended on it. Screenshots should document your own authorised test; do not substitute leaked images or another creator's results and label them as your play session.

Common mistakes to avoid

The biggest shortcut is treating a long collection as a finished zoo design. A wishlist records intent; a build requires space, access and species-specific evidence. Another mistake is assuming that deleting local storage recalls a shared link. It removes your local copy, not a snapshot someone else already received.

If a result on this site seems wrong, send the exact page, source and game version through Contact. For a roster correction, identify the species rather than reporting only that the total changed. For a tool problem, describe the action and expected result without sending private plan names. Clear reports make a correction easier to verify and keep the reference pages useful after the release window.