FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Aquarium.
Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is Aquarium?
Aquarium is a Discord bot that enables real-time language translation in your server. Members can chat in their preferred language, and messages are automatically translated to dedicated channels for other languages.
How many languages are supported?
Aquarium supports 9 languages:
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese
Is Aquarium free?
Yes! Aquarium has a generous free tier with 40,000 characters/month per server. Paid plans are available for higher limits.
What translation service does Aquarium use?
Aquarium uses DeepL, one of the most accurate machine translation services available.
Setup
How do I add Aquarium to my server?
- Visit the Aquarium website
- Click "Add to Discord"
- Select your server
- Authorize the required permissions
What permissions does Aquarium need?
- Manage Channels
- Manage Webhooks
- Send Messages
- Read Message History
- Manage Messages
Can I use existing channels instead of creating new ones?
Yes! During setup, you can choose to link existing channels instead of creating new ones.
Translation
Why aren't my messages being translated?
Common reasons:
- You haven't verified your account yet
- The language channel isn't properly configured
- You've reached your character limit
- The bot is missing permissions
What counts as a character?
Characters are counted from your source message. Each translation to another language counts the message length again.
Example: "Hello" (5 characters) translated to 8 languages = 40 characters used.
Why does the translation look different from the original?
Translations preserve meaning but may restructure sentences for natural flow in the target language. This is normal and often results in better readability.
Can I translate code or technical content?
Aquarium is designed for conversational text. Code, technical documentation, and highly specialized content may not translate well.
Usage & Limits
How do I check my usage?
Use the /usage command or visit your dashboard to see current character usage.
What happens when I hit my limit?
Your messages won't be translated until the limit resets at the start of the next month. You'll receive a notification.
Do limits reset?
Yes, limits reset on the first of each month.
Can I get more characters?
Yes! Upgrade to Pro (500K characters) or Premium (2M characters). Personal subscriptions also stack with server limits.
Moderation
How do I ban someone from using translation?
Use /mod ban @user or access the member management panel in the dashboard.
Can banned users still see the channels?
Yes, immersion bans only prevent translation. Users can still view channels unless you adjust Discord permissions.
How do I set up moderation logging?
Use /mod setlogchannel #channel or configure it in the dashboard under Channels → Moderation Settings.
Account
How do I verify my account?
When you first try to post in an immersion channel, you'll receive a link. Click it and sign in with Discord.
Can I hide from the leaderboard?
Yes! Use /preferences privacy leaderboard to toggle your visibility.
How do I change which languages I see?
Use /preferences languages set to choose which language channels you want to see.
Billing
How do I upgrade my plan?
Visit the dashboard and click on subscription options, or use /subscribe plans in Discord.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, you can cancel your subscription at any time. You'll retain access until the end of your billing period.
Do you offer refunds?
We only offer refunds for specific cases and are at the discretion of our team. If you truly believe you deserve a refund please open a ticket in our support server.
Do you have nonprofit discounts?
Yes! Contact us with proof of nonprofit status for 50% off.
Technical
Why do translations show as a different user?
Translations use webhooks with your username and avatar, so they appear as natural messages. The source language is indicated in the message.
Can Aquarium read all my messages?
Aquarium only processes messages in designated immersion channels. It doesn't read messages in other channels.
Is my data secure?
Yes, we take security seriously:
- Encrypted connections
- No message storage (translations are processed and discarded)
- OAuth authentication through Discord
How do I report a bug?
Join our support server or open an issue on GitHub.