Paper Reef
A shared aquarium for paper drawings. Put the tank on a big screen, scan the code with a phone, and every drawing swims among the fish.
✓ Free✓ Works in your phone’s browser✓ No app to install✓ Android, iPhone, TV
Watch the main tank →
The main tank
One big shared tank for everyone. Open it on a screen, or add a drawing straight from your phone.
Heads up: it is shared with everyone on the internet, so drawings from strangers will appear next to yours. Every picture is checked before it swims, but for a family, party or classroom, open a private tank below.
Open a private tank
Your own tank with its own code. Only people with the code or the QR can add to it. Best on a TV, laptop or tablet.
Pick a theme
Every tank can be dressed for the occasion: its own picture, its own fish, things to tap and secrets to find. Preview one in the main tank, or open a private tank already dressed.
Join a tank
Type the 4-letter code shown on the tank screen.
Ideas? Something odd?
This is a one-person side project and it gets better from what visitors say. Two sentences are plenty.
How it works
- Draw a fish, a car, a monster, anything, on white paper.
- Scan the tank's QR code and take a photo of the drawing.
- We cut it off the page and it swims for 2 minutes, free. Tap "Swim again" for another go.
Questions
Is Paper Reef free?
Yes. Watching the tank, adding drawings and opening a private tank are all free. There is no app to install and no account needed.
Does it work on Android and iPhone?
Yes. It runs in any phone browser, like Chrome or Safari. The tank itself works on any screen: a TV, a laptop or a tablet.
Is it a virtual fish tank?
It is an online aquarium you fill yourself. Draw a fish on paper or right on your phone, and it swims in the tank with everyone else’s drawings.
Is it safe for kids?
Every picture is checked before it swims, and chat is filtered. For a family, party or classroom, open a private tank so only your group can add drawings.