Drowned Farm
A river or ocean-based farm that spawns drowned for copper ingots and trident drops. Uses bubble columns for transport and trident killers for looting compatibility. In Java Edition, only naturally spawned drowned (not converted zombies) can drop tridents.
Overview
The Drowned Farm is a farm build whose job is producing a steady supply of one resource with little or no manual labour; form follows function here, so the layout is dictated by how it works rather than by looks. At 9x24x9 blocks (9 wide, 24 tall and 9 deep) it is moderately sized, covering a 81-block footprint on the ground.
It is rated intermediate: nothing here is exotic, but you will need a steady supply of materials and a little patience with shaping, depth and interior detail to make it look right. Following the 18 steps below, plan for roughly 1-2 hours of focused building. This is a survival workhorse for tridents, nautilus shells and copper: once the Drowned Farm is running it keeps producing whether you are standing there or off mining elsewhere within simulation distance.
The bulk of the work is the 128 glass that form the main body, alongside 6 different materials in total (about 152 blocks and items all told). Items move through it on hoppers, feeding the tridents, nautilus shells and copper into a collection chest without any wiring to time. There is no dedicated light block in the core list, so add torches or lanterns yourself to keep it mob-safe after dark.
Materials Needed
Gather the 128 glass first, since it is the most-used block; the remaining 5 materials are accents and fittings used in smaller amounts. Mine roughly 10-15% extra of the main block to cover mistakes and a few decorative changes on a build this size. Make sure the hoppers that move items and the glass are crafted ahead of time, as those are the pieces most likely to be missing mid-build. Quantities are sized for the dimensions shown, so scale them up proportionally if you build a larger version.
Click any material to view it on the Items database.
Step-by-Step Overview
A high-level construction order for the Drowned Farm, from the ground up. Each phase below covers several of the 18 in-game steps.
- 1Pick the spot the Drowned Farm needs — a valid spawning location for the mobs it targets — then clear it and build the hopper-and-chest collection layer first so no drops are ever lost.
- 2Raise the body of the Drowned Farm to its full 9x24x9, working from the collection floor upward so each layer sits on the last.
- 3Set up the working part of the Drowned Farm — a river or dripstone spawner funnelled — which is what actually produces the tridents, nautilus shells and copper.
- 4Light or darken precisely: the spawn space for the Drowned Farm must stay at the light level the target mobs need, while every surrounding surface is lit so nothing else spawns and steals the cap.
- 5Build the AFK or harvest spot, run the Drowned Farm for a full cycle, and time the tridents, nautilus shells and copper output before you rely on it day to day.
Build Tips
- 1Build in a river biome for the highest drowned spawn rates.
- 2Tridents only drop from drowned that spawn holding them (6.25% chance in Java).
- 3Use a trident killer (thrown trident in a piston loop) to apply Looting III effect.
- 4Light up surrounding caves to maximize spawns in your farm.
Tips & Variations
The Drowned Farm has no light block in its core list, so add torches, lanterns or sea lanterns yourself: light every interior tile and the ground around it so nothing spawns on or beside the build overnight.
To resize the Drowned Farm, keep its 9x9 proportions and grow both axes together; stretching one direction alone tends to make it look thin. A half-size or double-size version both work as long as you scale the 152-block material list to match.
For a different look, swap the glass in the Drowned Farm for another palette that fits your biome: the shape stays identical, but the colour and texture of the main block changes the whole feel of it.
The most common mistake on the Drowned Farm is a leak in the collection path; trace it and confirm every hopper, water flow or drop chute actually feeds the chest before you leave it producing tridents, nautilus shells and copper unattended.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is the Drowned Farm build?
It is rated intermediate: nothing here is exotic, but you will need a steady supply of materials and a little patience with shaping, depth and interior detail to make it look right. It is laid out in 18 steps and takes roughly 1-2 hours of focused building to finish.
What blocks do you need for the Drowned Farm?
The main block is glass (around 128), and the full list runs to 6 materials — mostly glass, water bucket and hopper. Altogether that is roughly 152 blocks and items; the complete table with exact counts is above. Item transport uses hoppers.
How big is the Drowned Farm?
It measures 9x24x9 blocks — 9 wide, 24 tall and 9 deep — which is moderately sized and takes up a 81-block footprint. You can shrink or enlarge it by keeping those proportions.
Is the Drowned Farm survival-friendly?
This is a survival workhorse for tridents, nautilus shells and copper: once the Drowned Farm is running it keeps producing whether you are standing there or off mining elsewhere within simulation distance.
Does the Drowned Farm work on its own once built?
Largely, yes — after setup the Drowned Farm keeps producing tridents, nautilus shells and copper as long as you are within simulation range; just check the collection chest now and then and top up anything it consumes.
What makes the Drowned Farm different from similar builds?
It is best understood through its focus on drowned, trident and copper. Those traits drive the material list and layout described above, and are what set this farm build apart from a generic tridents, nautilus shells and copper build.
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