• (Windows) Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2.
• (Macintosh) Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later.
• 256 MB system RAM for Windows XP/2000. 512 MB system Ram for Windows 7 and Macintosh OSX (Higher is recommended). At least 1gb of system RAM for Vista (higher is recommended)
• Intel Pentium microprocessor 800 MHz or faster. Power PC microprocessor 1 GHz or faster.
• 1 GB RAM.
• 6 MB hard disk space.
• (Windows) DirectX 9.0c or later.
• 3D Accelerator video card with 64 MB VRAM.
• (Windows) The latest drivers for your video card. These are best found at the video card manufacturer's site. The Windows update feature is not sufficient for this task. For more information, click HERE.
• CD-ROM drive.

• If you lost your keycode or never received a keycode you purchased go HERE
  
  
• If you don't recall the email you registered under or no longer have access to your old email account you will need to log into your account and modify your profile information as outlined in our FAQ HERE
  
  
• If you have an older keycode and wish to upgrade please see our FAQ entry HERE
  
  
• If you have an older keycode and are not interested in purchasing an upgrade, you can download the older versions of Marine Aquarium as outlined HERE

• View Cart - Lists any product purchase you have pending from our website.
  
  
• Checkout - Takes you to the checkout page where you can finalize your pending purchases.
  
  
• Modify Profile - Allows you to modify your personal information(including email), password, and mailing lists.
  
  
• Delete profile - Deletes your account. Warning Deleting your profile will remove all reference to your account from our server, making it impossible to retrieve your product in the future.
  
  
• Orders History - Allows you to view and search your product order history. You can retrieve your keycodes from here.
  

• The full name you registered under.
  
• The Order Number from your confirmation e-mail.
  
• Both the first four AND last four numbers of the credit card you used.
  
• Your email address at the time of purchase.
  
• Your old Keycode. (If you are upgrading from an older code)
  
• The store you purchased from.
  
• The date of your purchase.

1. Some characters in the keycode can be easily confused (i.e. capital O and zero, capital I and the number one, etc.). Try to copy and paste your keycode into the programs registration space to avoid any possible input errors. For detailed instructions on copying and pasting, see our entry HERE. Also, if you are upgrading from a CD you will need to make sure it is in the drive while entering the keycode.
   
   
2. Your copy of the program may have been corrupted during download or installation. Try downloading a new copy of the program and reinstalling it. Be sure to deactivate your anti-virus programs for the duration of the download and install.
   
   
3. You may be attempting to use your keycode in another one of our programs or an earlier version. Please make sure that the version you downloaded is the version you purchased. (i.e. - the Marine Aquarium 2.0 keycode will not work with the Marine Aquarium 3.0).
   
   For a list of download links for older versions of Marine Aquarium, see our entry HERE.

• To install the the latest version of MA3 please see our entries on installing the Demo and Full versions of the program.
  
  
• To access downloads for older versions of the program please go HERE
  
  
• If your program is having problems and you want to re-install follow the procedures we outline HERE
  

1. IMPORTANT: Before installing, be sure your anti-virus software is deactivated for the duration of the download and install.
   
   
2. Delete any old versions of Marine Aquarium on your system to avoid conflicts.
   
   
3. Download the newest release of Marine Aquarium 3.0 from HERE
   
   
4. After downloading the program, find the folder you downloaded to and double-click on the Marine Aquarium file. This will run the Setup Wizard, which will install Marine Aquarium on your computer, simply read and follow the instructions for installation.
   
   
5. Once the installation process is complete, there should be a new icon on your desktop entitled Marine Aquarium 3 with a picture of two fish over a starfish. Double-click the new icon to bring up the registration page.
   
   
6. Type TESTFISH into the registration box. This will unlock the demo mode and display a limited selection of fish.
   
   
7. Do not forget to reactivate your anti-virus software.
   
   
8. While the Marine Aquarium is running you can press the space bar to change your settings.
   
   
9. Let Marine Aquarium run for a little while to be sure everything is working properly. If you have any problems consult the Troubleshooting section of our FAQ.

1. IMPORTANT: Before installing, be sure your anti-virus software is deactivated for the duration of the download and install.
   
   
2. Delete any old versions of Marine Aquarium on your system to avoid conflicts.
   
   
3. Download the newest release of Marine Aquarium 3.0 from HERE
   
   
4. After downloading the program, find the folder you downloaded to and double-click on the Marine Aquarium file. This will run the Setup Wizard, which will install Marine Aquarium on your computer, simply read and follow the instructions for installation.
   
   
5. Once the installation process is complete, there should be a new icon on your desktop entitled Marine Aquarium 3 with a picture of two fish over a starfish. Double-click the new icon to bring up the registration page.
   
   
6. If you are Upgrading from an older CD using a CD upgrade keycode, place your CD in the computer now. Click Exit or Cancel on any automatic window that may appear. If you are not upgrading from an older CD version, please skip this step.
   
   
7. Double-click the new Aquarium icon to bring up the registration page.
   
   
8. Copy and paste your keycode into the registration space to avoid any possible input errors (Some characters can be easily mixed up i.e. the letter O and zero, capital I and the number one, etc.) and press enter.
   
   
9. Once the program is running, you can press the space bar to change your settings.
   
   
10. Do not forget to reactivate your anti-virus software when you are finished.

1. Manually remove any versions of Marine Aquarium 3.0 from your system. Click on the START button then select "Find" or "Search" and search for all copies of "MarineAquarium3.scr" on your system. When the list of files displays in the Find window, just right-click on each of the fish icons and choose delete.
   
   
2. IMPORTANT - Download THIS small utility program. This utility will delete all entries associated with the any version of our program from your computer's registry. Once the download is complete, double click on the program. Then click "YES" and "OK".
   
   
3. Re-boot your computer. Your computer should now be completely free of all Marine Aquarium 3.0 data.

1. Perform the long version of the Uninstall process outlined HERE
   
   
2. Install the program as outlined HERE
   

This is possible; however we will have to refer you to Microsoft's Support website for information on how to perform this procedure.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to read all of the instructions carefully as this procedure is for advanced users.

Click the link below to be taken to the Microsoft Support website.
How To Change the Windows Logon Screen Saver in Windows XP

Windows Vista does not currently support using 3rd party Screensavers in the Log on Screen. However, we have discovered that there are tutorials out there that outline workaround solutions.

IMPORTANT: We cannot recommend these solutions and advise you to use caution even if you are an advanced user.

A simple Google search for "Vista Log on Screensaver" should point you to one of these tutorials.

Display Settings - Set the resolution for your Monitors

Program Settings - Basic settings.

Fish Settings - Pick your favorite fish.

Music Playlist - Set up and control your music playlist.

Selecting Individual Fish - To select a fish, just mouse over the kind you want and left click, a box will appear around it. The number to the lower left of the fish will tell you how many of this specific kind will appear in the tank, no number to the left of the fish means the fish is set to appear randomly. An "X" next to the fish means that this kind is "turned off" and will not appear in the tank until you turn it back on, as outlined in the Individual Fish Population section below.

Fish Information Box - On the top left you will find vital information on the fish you have just selected.

Populating the Tank


• Individual Fish Population - Directly below the Fish Information Box are settings to govern the population of the individual fish you have selected. Clicking on the arrow keys at the bottom of the fish information box will increase or decrease the population of this particular fish in the tank.
  
  
• General Fish Population - Below the Individual Fish Population settings are the settings for General Population. The upper number indicates how many fish in your tank are set to randomly appear, the lower number governs the total number of fish in the tank. Clicking on the arrows to the left of this number will correspondingly increase or decrease the overall population of the tank.
  
  

Setting Individual Fish to "Random" - Clicking the down arrow to none will bring up a “?” which sets the fish to “Random”. This fish will now randomly appear in the tank every time you start the program (assuming you have any random slots assigned, more on this below)

Setting Individual Fish to "Off" - Clicking the down Arrow past the "?" will turn the fish off, effectively removing it from the tank until you choose to change this setting. Alternatively you may simply click the "Disable Fish" box.

Setting all Fish on/off or Random - See Global Settings(below).

Adding Music

• To add music to your playlist click on the "Add" button. Navigate to the files you want and add them to the playlist. Currently Marine Aquarium 3 supports MP3 files as well as WAV, MP2, MPA, AIF, and AIFF formatted files.
  
  Removing Music
  
• To remove a file from your playlist simply click and highlight the file you want to remove and click the "Remove" button.
  
  Volume Control
  
• Below your playlist is a slider to control the playback volume level. The volume control can also be accessed through the Program Settings button
  
  Advancing to the next track during playback
• This function is not accessed through the settings menu. Rather, while the program is running you may hit the "F8" key to advance your playlist to the next selection. Your playlist will repeat once you have reached the end.

1. Close all programs that are running.
   
   
2. Windows XP users click on the START button and select "Run". Windows Vista users may need to click start and then enter “Run” into the Start Search Field.
   
   
3. Type dxdiag into the box that appears.
   
   
4. This will bring up the DirectX Diagnostic tool. Wait for it to fully load.
   
   
5. Click the "Display" tab.
   
   
6. All the information on your video card is in the upper left under the heading Device. You will want to write down the following information:
   
   
   • Name
   • Manufacturer
   • Chip Type
   • Approx. Total Memory
   
   If the Approx. Total Memory is below 64MB (megabytes), your video card does not have enough video memory to run Marine Aquarium 3.0 and you should e-mail us to let us know.
   
   
7. All of the information about your video driver is on the right-hand side under the heading Driver. You will want to write down the following information:
   
   
   • Version
   • Date
   
   If the date is more than six months old, you will want to update your video driver as outlined HERE.
   

1. IMPORTANT: Be sure that your video card has 64 megabytes or more of video memory and an up to date driver. Do not skip this step! Even if your computer is brand new or you have recently updated drivers, there can still be problems in this area.
   
   Click HERE for more information on your video card and how to check it.
   
   
2. Start the program, hit the “S” key. This will display a number of statistics in the upper left hand corner of the aquarium. Locate “Sleep”.. Using up arrow key on your keyboard raise this setting to thirty (30).
   
   
3. Examine the programs in your System Tray (The area just to the left of the clock on the Taskbar). Placing your mouse cursor over the icons will give you the full names of the items. If you have Windows XP you may have to "Show hidden icons" using the small circle and arrow button to the left of the System Tray.
   
   If the icon is Windows or another program waiting to update, run the updates then continue.
   
   If the icon is not one of your basic system functions (volume, task manager, mouse, video card, printer, etc.) exit, disable or close the program. Right-clicking will usually give you options. Then, check if Marine Aquarium exhibits the same behavior.
   
   
4. Double-check your computer for spyware or viruses.
   

1. If Marine Aquarium runs for a while then goes black, this can be caused by the monitor going into sleep mode. Check your Power Options in the Windows Control Panel.
   
   
2. If Marine Aquarium goes black as soon as it activates, this can be a problem with your video card driver. Click HERE for more information on updating your video card driver.
   

1. If you are not hearing sound when the program starts please check the Program Settings as outlined HERE. Make sure there are checks in the boxes next to Music and Bubble Sound.
   
   
2. If you still cannot hear any sounds please make sure that your speakers are properly connected and set up.
   
   
3. Failing that you will need to try updating or reinstalling your sound card driver.
   
   

1. Open your My Documents folder and select "View" ("Tools" for Windows XP) from the Menu Bar then click on "Folder Options..."
   
   
2. Click the "View" tab, uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types" and click the "Apply" button. This will allow you to view the file extensions for all files.
   
   
3. Close your My Documents window.
   
   
4. Right-click on the Marine Aquarium 3.0 desktop shortcut and select "Properties". This will bring up the Shortcut properties window.
   
   
5. Click the FIND TARGET... button at the bottom of the Shortcut properties window. This will take you right to the MarineAquarium3.scr file on your hard drive.
   
   
6. Right-click the MarineAquarium3.scr file and select "Copy".
   
   
7. Go back to your Desktop, right-click any empty space and select "Paste". A copy of MarineAquarium3.scr should appear on your Desktop.
   
   
8. Right-click on the new MarineAquarium3.scr icon and select "Rename" from the menu.
   
   
9. Change the icons name to MarineAquarium3.exe.
   
   
10. Delete the old Marine Aquarium 3.0 shortcut from your Desktop.
    
    
11. You can now run Marine Aquarium 3.0 manually by double-clicking the new icon.
    
    
12. If you are using an older version of Marine Aquarium, the above instructions are the same except for the program's file name. To see a list of the Marine Aquarium file names, click HERE.
    

CRT

Unfortunately, once burn-in occurs on a CRT monitor, there is no fix as the actual process that produces the image has been damaged.

LCD & Plasma monitors

The approach to fixing burn-in on plasma and LCD monitors is the same: Display a white screen on the display for a length of time equal to the image that burned-in.

Apple has an excellent article on how to go about this:

Apple: Avoiding image persistence on Apple LCD displays

This process will work with any LCD, not just Apple LCD displays.