Aquarium for a Dream

"Aquarium for a Dream" is the sixth episode of the first season of Total DramaRama. It first aired on Cartoon Network on 8 September 2018 alongside "The Date''.

Overview
Gwen tries to convince Chef to tell the class the truth about their pet goldfish.

Synopsis
Chef Hatchet introduces the kids to the newest member of their daycare: Richard Swimmins, a goldfish he entrusts them to take care of in order to teach responsibility. Izzy volunteers to feed him, but empties the entire can of fish flakes into his bowl. Believing the fish would go hungry, Izzy finds steak sauce, and imagining that Richard would be grateful, pours it into the bowl. She alerts Chef that Richard has stopped moving and worries that she didn't feed him enough. Chef runs out of the classroom and returns with Richard, seemingly better, which Gwen finds suspicious. He claims that Richard is a picky eater and should only have three shakes of fish flakes, but is unable to explain why, instead opting to feed him himself.

Harold notices that Richard's bowl has gotten dirty and pours soap into the bowl in order to clean it. He has Chef look at his good work, claiming that Richard is floating upside-down like a boss. Chef attempts to explain what happened, but instead leaves and returns with a new fish. Gwen wonders how Richard could be okay and when Chef attempts to tell them the truth, he lies again. Later, Beth enters the daycare after a rainy day, shivering. She figures that Richard must be freezing as well and places him on top of a heater, accidentally cooking him and attracting a horde of cats. Gwen questions Chef about Richard, but he lies that the fish has a doctor appointment and returns with another. Chef tells the kids that Richard is in good health though tells them not to place him on top of the heater.

Harold takes Chef's words to mean that Richard Swimmins is invincible and Duncan says that the fish should be outside playing with them though Gwen attempts to stop them. As the kids use Richard to play hockey, race remote-controlled cars, and launch him off rockets, Chef replaces the goldfish with other ones. Gwen believes that Chef is bringing back Richard Swimmins from the dead, but then realizes that he is simply buying new ones. She finds Chef burying a fish outside but he says that he is burying garbanzo beans. Gwen tells Chef to tell them though he says he doesn't know how that will affect their psyche. She offers to do it herself, but Chef intercepts when Izzy and Beth come outside.

Inside the daycare, Owen observes that Richard wasn't good at jump-rope. Chef is unable to tell the kids the truth, lying that he was cutting onions. Gwen tries to tell the other kids, but Chef interjects that Richard is fine. Duncan notes that he drew a tattoo on the fish, but realizes that it's missing despite it being made of permanent ink. Chef takes the fish into his office and hopes that the next Richard Swimmins makes it. The kids catch Chef and realize the other fishes have died. Instead of being upset, however, they scold him for not telling them the truth as they would have stopped themselves, claiming they don't know any better. Duncan asks what he did with the other fish, and Chef says he did right and that they can visit them though Gwen instructs them to look outside where a horde of cats have dug up the dead fish to eat them. Afterward, Chef tells the children that they are getting a new pet: Rocky. However, when he gives it to the kids, it ricochets into his office and breaks the tank with the other Richard Swimmins, drawing in even more cats.

Post credits scene
Owen, Jude, Duncan, Gwen and Leshawna and Beth are sleeping as Chef walks by. Duncan gets up and runs off though Chef quickly catches him and subdues him with a pacifier, much to his dismay.

Cast and characters
! colspan="3" | Non-speaking characters
 * Lilly Bartlam
 * colspan="2" | Gwen
 * Katie Crown
 * colspan="2" | Izzy
 * Darren Frost
 * colspan="2" | Harold
 * Sarah Gadon
 * colspan="2" | Beth
 * Deven Mack
 * colspan="2" | Chef Hatchet
 * Scott McCord
 * colspan="2" | Owen
 * Drew Nelson
 * colspan="2" | Duncan
 * colspan="2" | Chef Hatchet
 * Scott McCord
 * colspan="2" | Owen
 * Drew Nelson
 * colspan="2" | Duncan
 * Drew Nelson
 * colspan="2" | Duncan
 * colspan="3" | Jude
 * colspan="3" | Leshawna
 * colspan="3" | Leshawna
 * colspan="3" | Leshawna

General

 * This is the first episode in which Noah doesn't appear and Jude has no lines.
 * As a result, only Chef Hatchet, Owen and Izzy have appeared and spoken in every episode so far.