Getting the Bottomless Water Bucket in Terraria turns the painful job of hauling water into a one-click chore you never repeat. Instead of refilling a single bucket over and over, this tool places water endlessly and never empties, making it perfect for filling lakes, building water farms, or extinguishing hellevator lava. This guide walks you through every ingredient and the exact crafting station you need.
The Bottomless Water Bucket is a crafted item, not a drop, so there is no luck involved once you have the parts. You combine 10 Water Buckets with a Money Trough at a Tinkerer's Workshop. The trickiest piece is the Money Trough, which only appears during a Blood Moon, so plan around that event.
What you'll need
- A Tinkerer's Workshop — the crafting station for this recipe, sold by the Goblin Tinkerer NPC.
- 10 Water Buckets — empty buckets filled by scooping any water source.
- 1 Money Trough — a portable piggy bank that drops from enemies during a Blood Moon.
How to get the Bottomless Water Bucket
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Step 1: Get a Tinkerer's Workshop
The recipe is only available at a Tinkerer's Workshop. This station is sold by the Goblin Tinkerer, an NPC you must first rescue. After you defeat at least one Goblin Army invasion, the bound Goblin Tinkerer spawns somewhere in the Cavern layer underground. Talk to him to free him, let him move into a house, then buy the workshop from his shop for a handful of gold.
Rescue the Goblin Tinkerer underground, then purchase the Tinkerer's Workshop. -
Step 2: Fill 10 Water Buckets
You need ten full Water Buckets. Each one starts as an Empty Bucket, which you craft from 3 Iron or Lead Bars at an Anvil, or simply buy from the Merchant. Use the empty bucket on any water source — an ocean, lake, or a pool you dug yourself — to scoop it up into a Water Bucket. Repeat until you have ten. If you have an Ocean nearby, you can refill an endless supply in seconds.
Craft Empty Buckets, then scoop water until you have ten Water Buckets. -
Step 3: Get a Money Trough from a Blood Moon
The Money Trough is the gating ingredient. It is a 5% drop from almost any enemy during a Blood Moon, the red-skied night event that floods the surface with zombies and other monsters. Wait for a Blood Moon to begin, then fight enemies until one drops the trough. Building a small farm or fighting near your base with traps speeds this up a lot.
Defeat enemies during a Blood Moon for a chance at the Money Trough drop. -
Step 4: Combine the ingredients at the Tinkerer's Workshop
With all three pieces in your inventory, stand next to your Tinkerer's Workshop. The recipe for the Bottomless Water Bucket appears in your crafting menu: 10 Water Buckets + 1 Money Trough. Select it and craft. Note that the Money Trough is consumed, so if you still want a portable piggy bank you'll need to grab another one later.
Combine 10 Water Buckets and a Money Trough at the Tinkerer's Workshop. -
Step 5: Equip it and place unlimited water
Move the finished Bottomless Water Bucket to your hotbar, select it, and left-click anywhere to place water. The tool never empties, so you can flood an entire area, build a fishing pond, or fill obsidian/lava farms without ever refilling. It works exactly like a normal bucket — just without the limit.
Equip the Bottomless Water Bucket and place water as much as you like.
Tips and tricks
- Stock up during a single Blood Moon. Farm a few extra Money Troughs in one event so you can keep one as a portable piggy bank and still craft the bucket.
- Pair it with the Bottomless Lava Bucket. The lava version uses the same crafting station and is ideal for obsidian generators and trap arenas.
- Use the Ocean for fast refills. Filling ten buckets is quickest at the edge of the world's Ocean biome, where water is endless and shallow.
- Build a Blood Moon arena. A flat platform with campfires, heart lanterns, and a few traps lets you grind enemies safely while you wait for the trough.
Troubleshooting
The recipe isn't showing up
You must be standing next to a Tinkerer's Workshop and have all 10 Water Buckets plus the Money Trough in your inventory at the same time. If even one ingredient is missing, the recipe stays hidden.
I can't find the Goblin Tinkerer
He only spawns after you defeat a Goblin Army invasion. Once that's done, explore the Cavern layer until you find him bound; talk to him to free him, then give him a house.
No enemies are dropping the Money Trough
The drop only happens during a Blood Moon and is a 5% chance per enemy, so it can take many kills. Set up a small farm or fight in a high-spawn area to improve your odds.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bottomless Water Bucket recipe in Terraria?
It is 10 Water Buckets plus 1 Money Trough, crafted at a Tinkerer's Workshop. All three must be in your inventory while standing next to the station.
Where do I get a Money Trough?
The Money Trough is a 5% drop from most enemies during a Blood Moon. It does not come from any other source, so you'll need to fight during that event.
Does the Bottomless Water Bucket ever run out?
No. It places water indefinitely and never empties, which is the whole point of the item. You can flood huge areas without refilling.
Can I get the Bottomless Lava Bucket the same way?
Yes, similarly. The Bottomless Lava Bucket is crafted at the Tinkerer's Workshop using Lava Buckets and a Money Trough, following the same pattern as the water version.
Is the Bottomless Water Bucket available on console and mobile?
Yes. It is part of the core game across PC, console, and mobile editions, and the recipe is identical on every platform.
Final thoughts
The Bottomless Water Bucket is one of those quality-of-life tools that makes large builds and farms dramatically easier. The only real hurdle is the Money Trough, so keep an eye out for the next Blood Moon and farm a couple of them. Once you've crafted the bucket at your Tinkerer's Workshop, you'll never haul water by hand again. For the latest patch details and item changes, check the official Terraria website.
