How to Use Asciiquarium for Aquarium Like Animation Effects in Linux Terminal

Looking to spice up your Linux terminal with something fun and different? Asciiquarium brings a playful aquarium animation to your command line, complete with swimming fish, swaying plants, and bubbling effects—all in ASCII art.

Here’s how to get it running on your system, step by step.

What Is Asciiquarium?

Asciiquarium is a simple Perl script that draws an animated aquarium in your terminal. It’s lightweight, open-source, and works on any system where Perl is available.

How to Install Asciiquarium

1. Install Perl (if you don’t have it)

Most Linux distributions include Perl by default. You can check with:

perl -v

If it’s missing, install it using your package manager:

sudo apt install perl         # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install perl         # Fedora
sudo pacman -S perl           # Arch

2. Install Required Modules

Asciiquarium depends on the Term::Animation Perl module. Install it with cpan:

sudo cpan Term::Animation

If cpan isn’t installed:

sudo apt install cpanminus
sudo cpanm Term::Animation

3. Download Asciiquarium

You can grab the script from the official site or GitHub. Here’s a quick way:

wget https://www.robobunny.com/projects/asciiquarium/asciiquarium
chmod +x asciiquarium
sudo mv asciiquarium /usr/local/bin/

How to Run Asciiquarium

Once it’s installed, just type:

asciiquarium

Your terminal will light up with animated fish, seahorses, and more. Press Ctrl+C to exit at any time.

Customizing the Experience

Asciiquarium doesn’t have many options, but you can resize your terminal for a bigger or smaller aquarium. Try running it in different terminal emulators to see which looks best.

Why Use Asciiquarium?

• It’s a great stress-buster. When you need a quick break, fire up Asciiquarium and let your eyes relax.
• Zero configuration. It just works.
• Runs anywhere. If you’ve got Perl, you’re good to go.

Final Thoughts

Asciiquarium is a fun way to bring a touch of life to your terminal. It’s simple, nostalgic, and makes for a great conversation starter if someone catches a glimpse of your screen.

Give it a try. Sometimes, the little things make working at the command line just a bit more enjoyable.

Mark Vincent

Tech enthusiast and content creator passionate about making technology simple for everyone. I share practical tips, guides, and reviews on the latest in computers, software, and gadgets. Let’s explore the digital world together!