Datapack Codex

Bucket of mob

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This article is reproduced from Bucket of mob on the Minecraft Wiki. Mirrored from revision 3706913. It is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 by the Minecraft Wiki contributors — not under the Codex’s CC BY-SA 4.0, and it may not be used commercially. Edits belong upstream, not here.

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Bucket of mob

Bucket of Cod.png: Infobox image for Minecraft item 'Bucket of mob'

Bucket of Salmon.png: Infobox image for Minecraft item 'Bucket of mob'

Bucket of Tropical Fish.png: Infobox image for Minecraft item 'Bucket of mob'

Bucket of Pufferfish.png: Infobox image for Minecraft item 'Bucket of mob'

Bucket of Axolotl.png: Infobox image for Minecraft item 'Bucket of mob'

Bucket of Tadpole.png: Infobox image for Minecraft item 'Bucket of mob'

Bucket of Sulfur Cube.png: Infobox image for Minecraft item 'Bucket of mob'

Invicon Bucket of Cod.png: Inventory sprite for Bucket of Cod in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Bucket of CodInvicon Bucket of Salmon.png: Inventory sprite for Bucket of Salmon in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Bucket of SalmonInvicon Bucket of Tropical Fish.png: Inventory sprite for Bucket of Tropical Fish in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Bucket of Tropical FishInvicon Bucket of Pufferfish.png: Inventory sprite for Bucket of Pufferfish in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Bucket of PufferfishInvicon Bucket of Axolotl.png: Inventory sprite for Bucket of Axolotl in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Bucket of AxolotlInvicon Bucket of Tadpole.png: Inventory sprite for Bucket of Tadpole in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Bucket of TadpoleInvicon Bucket of Sulfur Cube.png: Inventory sprite for Bucket of Sulfur Cube in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Bucket of Sulfur Cube
{
    "title": "Bucket of mob",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "<span nowrap;\"><span inline-block; background-color: #fff; border: 1px solid #888; border-radius: 0.3em; color: transparent; width: 1em; height: 1em; vertical-align: -0.36em; margin-right: -0.1em\"><br></span> </span> Common",
            "label": "(link to Rarity article, displayed as Rarity tier)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "Stackable"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [
        "Bucket of Cod",
        "Bucket of Salmon",
        "Bucket of Tropical Fish",
        "Bucket of Pufferfish",
        "Bucket of Axolotl",
        "Bucket of Tadpole",
        "Bucket of Sulfur Cube"
    ],
    "images": [
        "Bucket of Cod.png",
        "Bucket of Salmon.png",
        "Bucket of Tropical Fish.png",
        "Bucket of Pufferfish.png",
        "Bucket of Axolotl.png",
        "Bucket of Tadpole.png",
        "Bucket of Sulfur Cube.png"
    ]
}

A bucket of mob is a small aquatic mob (a fish, axolotl, or tadpole) or a large sulfur cube inside of a water bucket or a bucket, obtained by using the bucket on the mob.

Small aquatic mobs are stored inside of water buckets, while sulfur cubes are stored inside of (otherwise) empty buckets.

Types

There are seven types of bucket of mob:

Obtaining

A bucket of mob can be obtained by using a water bucket on an applicable aquatic mob or using a bucket on a large sulfur cube. Once a water bucket is used, the mob is picked up, along with the water source block for aquatic mobs. The mob bucket obtained corresponds to the mob picked up.

Trading

VillagerProbabilityVillager wantsPlayer receivesTrades in
stock		Villager
experience		Price
multiplier
JEBE
Fisherman Novice50%50%3 × EmeraldBucket of Cod1610.05
Wandering TraderOrdinary7%7%3 × EmeraldBucket of Tropical Fish4——
7%7%3 × EmeraldBucket of Pufferfish4——

Usage

Pressing use with a bucket of mob places a water source block (in the case of aquatic mobs), and spawns the mob itself back into the world, leaving an empty bucket in the player's inventory.

The mob's details (such as size or name) are kept. Placing a bucket of aquatic mob in the Nether causes the same particles to appear that generate when a normal water bucket is placed in the Nether, and the fish is spawned alone.

Mobs caught in buckets then released do not despawn, unlike mobs that spawn naturally in their aquatic environments.

If a bucket of aquatic mob is inside a dispenser, the dispenser spawns the mob and water block (if applicable) in front of it upon activation, leaving an empty bucket inside. Dispensers cannot pick up aquatic mobs with water buckets (the bucket is emptied).

Naming

If a bucket of aquatic mob is named a certain name through an anvil, the mob inside displays that name as if it were named with a name tag, making fish, axolotls, and tadpoles the only mobs that can exist in item form, and be named without a name tag.‌[Java Edition only] Alternatively, if a named mob is captured with a bucket of water, the resulting mob bucket shares a name with the captured mob.‌[Java Edition only] If a named mob is captured in Bedrock Edition, the item is called "Bucket of <Name>".

Tropical fish have assigned names depending on their color after they are caught, in Java Edition this name is displayed in smaller text under the main item name, whereas in Bedrock Edition the main item name displays "Bucket of <fish name>". Axolotls also have assigned names depending on their growth stage and color after they are caught.‌[Bedrock Edition only]

Sounds

Java Edition:

Sounds
SoundClosed captionsSourceDescriptionIdentifierTranslation keyVolumePitchAttenuation
distance
​Fish capturedFriendly MobsWhen a fish is collecteditem.bucket.fill_fishsubtitles.item.bucket.fill_fish​1.01.016
​Tadpole capturedFriendly MobsWhen a tadpole is collecteditem.bucket.fill_tadpolesubtitles.item.bucket.fill_tadpole​0.51.516
​Axolotl scoopedFriendly MobsWhen an axolotl is collecteditem.bucket.fill_axolotlsubtitles.item.bucket.fill_axolotl​1.01.016
​Bucket emptiesFriendly MobsWhen a fish is placeditem.bucket.empty_fishsubtitles.item.bucket.empty​1.01.016
​Bucket emptiesFriendly MobsWhen a tadpole is placeditem.bucket.empty_tadpolesubtitles.item.bucket.empty​0.51.516
​Bucket emptiesFriendly MobsWhen an axolotl is placeditem.bucket.empty_axolotlsubtitles.item.bucket.empty​1.01.016
​Sulfur Cube scoopedBlocksWhen a Sulfur Cube is collected into a bucketitem.bucket.fill.sulfur_cubesubtitles.item.bucket.fill_sulfur_cube​???
​Bucket emptiesBlocksWhen a Sulfur Cube is placed from a bucketitem.bucket.empty.sulfur_cubesubtitles.item.bucket.empty​???

Bedrock Edition:

Sounds
SoundClosed captionsSourceDescriptionIdentifierTranslation keyVolumePitch
​ ?BlocksWhen a creature is collected into a water bucketbucket.fill_fish​ ?1.01.0
​ ?BlocksWhen a creature is placed from a bucketbucket.empty_fish​ ?1.01.0
​Sulfur cube scoopedBlocksWhen a Sulfur Cube is collected into a bucketbucket.fill_sulfur_cubesubtitles.item.bucket.fill_sulfur_cube​??
​Bucket emptiesBlocksWhen a Sulfur Cube is placed from a bucketbucket.empty_sulfur_cubesubtitles.item.bucket.empty​??

Data values

Item data

Java Edition:

  • [NBT Compound / JSON Object] components: the item's components tag.
    • [NBT Compound / JSON Object] minecraft:bucket_entity_data: NBT applied to an entity when placed from this bucket. Only tags below are applied.
      • [Boolean] NoAI: Turns into NoAI entity tag for all bucketable entities.
      • [Boolean] Silent: Turns into Silent entity tag for all bucketable entities.
      • [Boolean] NoGravity: Turns into NoGravity entity tag for all bucketable entities.
      • [Boolean] Glowing: Turns into Glowing entity tag for all bucketable entities.
      • [Boolean] Invulnerable: Turns into Invulnerable entity tag for all bucketable entities.
      • [Boolean] AgeLocked: Turns into AgeLocked entity tag for axolotls and tadpoles.
      • [Float] Health: Turns into Health entity tag for all bucketable entities.
      • [Int] Age: Turns into Age entity tag for axolotls and tadpoles.
      • [Long] HuntingCooldown: Turns into the expiry time of the memory module has_hunting_cooldown for axolotls.
    • [String][NBT List / JSON Array][NBT Compound / JSON Object] minecraft:custom_name: The player-assigned name of this item, block, or entity, typically assigned with an anvil or a name tag. See Text component format.
    • If present on an item, this component has highest priority to display as the item's name, and appears italic unless overridden by the text component format.
    • If present on an entity, it will replace the entity's name tag, will show the name tag to players when they hover over the entity (unless invisible), and will appear as that entity's name in commands and chat messages.
    • If present on a block with a GUI (such as a container), this replaces the name at the top of the GUI.
    • If present on a command block, this replaces the execution context name when the command is ran. The custom name of the fish.

Bedrock Edition:

Achievements

IconAchievementIn-game descriptionActual requirements (if different)Gamerscore earnedTrophy type (PS)
PS4Other
I am a Marine BiologistCollect a fish in a bucketUse a water bucket on any fish mob by right-clicking.20Bronze

Advancements

IconAdvancementIn-game descriptionActual requirements (if different)
Bukkit BukkitCatch a Tadpole in a BucketUse a water bucket on an tadpole.
Tactical FishingCatch a Fish... without a Fishing Rod!Use a water bucket on any fish mob.
The Cutest PredatorCatch an Axolotl in a BucketUse a water bucket on an axolotl.

History

Java Edition

Java Edition
1.1318w08b Added cod, salmon and "Puffer Fish" buckets.
18w10a Added tropical fish buckets.
18w14aCatching a fish in a water bucket now awards the Tactical Fishing advancement.
pre5The name of fish buckets has been changed from "[type of fish] bucket" to "bucket of [type of fish]", like they are in Bedrock Edition.
1.1720w51a Added buckets of axolotls.
1.1922w11a Added buckets of tadpoles.
1.20pre2Fish buckets are now listed in the same order as the fish items in the Creative inventory.
26.2snap1 Added buckets of sulfur cubes.

Bedrock Edition

Bedrock Edition
1.4.0beta 1.2.14.2 Added fish buckets of cod, salmon, tropical fish, and pufferfish.
beta 1.2.20.2Fish buckets are now available in the Creative inventory.
1.16.100beta 1.16.100.56The IDs of buckets with fish have been changed from bucket to <fish>_bucket.​[more information needed]
1.17.0beta 1.16.230.52 Added buckets of axolotls.
1.18.10beta 1.18.10.24 Added the bucket of tadpole behind the "Wild Update" experimental toggle.
26.20
Experiment
Drop 2 of 2026		Preview 26.20.23 Added buckets of sulfur cubes.
26.30Preview 26.30.20Implemented all features from the "Drop 2 of 2026" experiment in vanilla gameplay.

Legacy Console Edition

Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360Xbox OnePS3PS4PS VitaWii USwitch
TU69 1.761.761.76Patch 38 Added buckets of cod, salmon, tropical fish, and pufferfish.

Minecraft Education

Minecraft Education
1.4.0 Added buckets of cod, salmon, tropical fish, and pufferfish.

Issues

Issues relating to "Bucket of Fish", "Bucket of Mob", "Bucket of Cod", "Bucket of Salmon", "Bucket of Pufferfish", "Bucket of Tropical Fish", "Bucket of Tadpole", or "Bucket of Sulfur Cube" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

  • When a bucket or water bucket is transformed into a bucket of mob, it actually pushes the bucket texture down one pixel. According to Dinnerbone, JAPPA says this is due to the "weight of the fish".[1]

Mojang screenshots

  • Teaser for bucket of axolotl and powder snow
    Teaser for bucket of axolotl and powder snow
  • Teaser for bucket of axolotl and powder snow
    Teaser for bucket of axolotl and powder snow
  • First image of a bucket of tadpole
    First image of a bucket of tadpole

References

  1. ↑ MC-127919 – Bucket texture moves down by one pixel after capturing fish – resolved as "Works As Intended".

Sources

Datapack Codex — The all-versions Minecraft data pack reference. Community reference; not affiliated with Mojang Studios or Microsoft. “Minecraft” is a trademark of Mojang Synergies AB.

Primary syntax targets Minecraft Java Edition 1.21+ (singular folder names). Version-specific behaviour is flagged inline and mapped on the pack_format history page.