Subnautica Below Zero is a survival game, which means you’re going to have to manage your hunger and thirst. Food isn’t too hard to find — the open ocean is filled with a variety of edible fish. However, drinking water is another story. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get water in Subnautica Below Zero, including two mid-game options that provide a steady supply of purified H20.
How to get water in Subnautica Below Zero
There are several ways to get water in Subnautica Below Zero:
- Use a Bladderfish to get Filtered Water
- Find Disinfected Water in Supply Crates
- Combine Water Purification Tablets with Snowballs
- Equip the Stillsuit to get Reclaimed Water
- Craft the Water Filtration Machine to get a steady supply of Large Filtered Water
Get Filtered Water with a Bladderfish
The simplest way to get water in the early stages of the game is to catch Bladderfish. These are small red-and-purple fish that can be found in abundance throughout most major biomes. They’re not aggressive, either; you can swim right up to them to catch them, though they will try to flee when you get close.
When used at a Fabricator, one Bladderfish will provide one six-ounce bottle of Filtered Water. Two or three of these should be enough to replenish all of your thirst.
Find Disinfected Water in Supply Crates
There’s nothing easier than simply finding the water you need out in the wild. You should always be on the lookout for Supply Crates, not only to claim a few free items, but also for a chance to find some Disinfected Water.
Process Snowballs with Water Purification Tablets
Snowballs are one of the new items in Subnautica Below Zero. You’ll probably wind up using them to mess with Pengwings or throw Snow Stalkers off your trail, but it turns out they have another use, too. By mixing a Water Purification Tablet with a Snowball, you’ll get one Large Filtered Water.
Use the Stillsuit to get Reclaimed Water
If you’re going on a long journey, you should consider equipping the Stillsuit. While this diving suit doesn’t provide much in the way of protection, it is able to process and filter bodily fluids, turning them into drinkable Reclaimed Water.
Yeah, it’s pretty gross. Plus, drinking your own body’s moisture isn’t technically healthy for you, which is why consuming Reclaimed Water will deplete your Food meter by three points. Otherwise, this is a simple way to stay hydrated while away from base. Of course, you’ll need to find a few rarer materials to craft the Stillsuit, including Spiral Plant Clippings.
Craft the Water Filtration Machine
By the time you reach the midgame, you’re going to need a steady source of supplies to manage thirst and hunger. Luckily, with the right supplies, you can build a Water Filtration Machine at any one of your underwater bases. These hulking machines turn saltwater into both salt and drinkable water, providing one Large Filtered Water and two Salt around every 16 minutes.
The catch is that the Water Filtration Machine requires some advanced materials in order to craft. In addition to Titanium, you’ll need one Copper Wire and one Aerogel. Copper Wire shouldn’t be too difficult to find, but getting Aerogel requires harvesting Gel Sacks from some of the game’s mid-level biomes.
These are all of the methods you can use to get water in Subnautica Below Zero. Of course, it’s worth noting that you don’t need to drink water to manage your thirst: Many cooked foods will slightly fill your thirst meter. The catch is that they won’t satisfy as much as gulping down pure, filtered H20.
