Short answers to the questions that come up again and again. Each one links to the full guide if you want the details.
Animals
My animal is at 100% welfare. Why isn't it thriving?
Thriving needs extra requirements that only appear after you research the species. Get a vet researching it. If the research says it's blocked, you need to release that species into a wildlife reserve first. Then meet the new requirements; better food (food grade 2) is the usual one. See Animal Welfare and Thriving.
Why does my habitat say there are too many plants?
Plant cover has a target range, not a minimum. Hippos and cownose rays want quite little. Delete some bushes or corals until the bar sits in the green zone. If the plants came from a blueprint, use "split group" first so you can delete them one at a time.
How did my animal escape?
Nine times out of ten it climbed a tree or jumped off a rock that was too close to the fence. Open the traversable area heat map, find where the colour spills outside the fence, and move that object or raise the fence there. See How to Build a Habitat.
Why are my animals getting sick?
Check, in this order:
- Water: is the pump or filter working? A broken pump makes the water dirty fast.
- Old food: are there leftovers in the habitat? Check the cleanliness heat map.
- Keepers: do you have enough, and is the habitat in their work zone?
- Quarantine: did you skip it for new arrivals?
Then have a vet research the disease so it shows up less. See Diseases and Health.
My animals keep getting "boxed". What does that mean?
The game has put the animal back in its crate, usually because it got stuck or the water was drained. Click it and unbox it. Recent patches have made this much rarer.
Why won't my animals breed?
Make sure you have a fertile male and female (check the fertility trait isn't 0%), that it's their mating season, that they're not related, and that they have what they need to breed, such as nests for birds or burrows for meerkats. Unhappy animals breed less. See Breeding, Genetics and Traits.
There are too many babies. What do I do?
Turn them into release groups for a wildlife reserve (the best option, since you earn credits), quick release extra young males, or put adults on contraceptives.
Aquariums
What does "insufficient water filtration" mean?
Your tank holds more water than your filters can clean. Add another filter, connect the tank to a network with spare capacity, or make the tank smaller or shallower. Raising the barrier also raises the water level, which means more water to filter.
How do I make salt water?
Edit the filtration network and set it to salt water. If you drain and refill the tank, check it again, because it can reset to fresh water.
Why are my fish disappearing?
Either something is eating them (sharks will eat small fish; look for a "predation" alert) or the tank is dirty or the wrong temperature. Check each species' temperature range before mixing them.
Money
My shop is losing money. Why?
Common causes: no ATM nearby, guests don't walk past it, too many of the same shop close together, or no food that suits guests' diets. Training the vendor helps too. See Guests, Shops and Facilities.
How much should I charge for tickets?
Start low and raise it slowly while reading guest thoughts. "Tickets are underpriced" means go up; "overpriced" means you went too far. See Making Money.
Is it OK to take a loan?
Yes. A small loan early on, spent on shops, pays for itself. Just don't take a big one and then spend it on animals that cost money to keep.
Franchise mode
How do I unlock lions, gorillas and other big animals?
Reach accreditation tier 5: a five-star zoo plus two wildlife reserves with five-star biodiversity. It takes a while. See Accreditation.
What's the fastest way to get conservation credits?
Breed animals and release them as release groups into wildlife reserves. Quick release spare young males, and do conservation projects when you have spare cash. See How to Get Conservation Credits.
Why can't I release an animal I bought?
Only animals born in your zoo can go into release groups. You can quick trade bought animals instead.
Which wildlife reserve is easiest?
The Scottish Highlands reserve is often recommended for beginners. It only has 11 species and they all breed easily. The Sweden reserve is also considered easy.
Does time pass in my other zoos while I'm away?
No. Time only passes in the zoo or reserve you're currently in.
Building
Why won't my path connect to the train station?
Stations only accept the ride queue path, which is a separate path type.
Can I change the terrain after adding water?
Yes, which is new in Planet Zoo 2. Sometimes it still works better to remove the water, reshape, then add the water back.
Why does my aviary roof only cover the bottom?
That's a known bug in very deep habitats. Drop one roof pole down into the habitat, reapply the roof, then lift the pole back up.
General
Can I use every animal from the start?
Yes, in Sandbox mode. In Franchise, most animals unlock through accreditation; the five Deluxe Edition animals are the exception.
Are there redeem codes?
No. See Codes and Rewards.
Where can I download other people's zoos?
On the Frontier Workshop, from inside the game. Many creators upload their whole zoo and update it every week.