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Conduits in Minecraft are powerful structures that help players survive and explore underwater environments with ease. By mastering how to build, activate, and use conduits, players can breathe underwater, mine blocks faster, and protect themselves from hostile mobs. This guide will walk you through the process, step-by-step, while covering key mechanics, required materials, and pro survival tips.

What Is a Conduit in Minecraft?

A conduit is a beacon-like underwater block that, when fully activated, grants nearby players the conduit power effect. This unique status effect provides the ability to breathe underwater, enjoy underwater night vision, and increase mining speed.

Conduits also deal damage to hostile mobs like Drowned and Guardians within their radius, acting as a defense mechanism. The conduit power effect works only when the conduit is properly surrounded by a special activation frame built using prismarine blocks, dark prismarine, prismarine bricks, or sea lanterns.

Materials Needed to Make a Conduit

To start building a conduit and its activation frame, gather the following materials:

Crafting the Conduit:

  • Heart of the Sea (found in buried treasure chests)

  • 8 Nautilus Shells (obtained via fishing rod, killing Drowned, or trading with wandering traders)

Frame Construction:

  • Minimum of 16 prismarine blocks (can be dark prismarine, prismarine bricks, or sea lanterns)

  • Water-filled 3x3x3 center space

How to Obtain Nautilus Shells

Nautilus shells are a vital crafting material for building conduits in Minecraft. There are three main ways to acquire them, each with its own benefits and considerations.

1. Fishing

Using a fishing rod gives players a small chance to catch nautilus shells as treasure items. This chance can be significantly improved by enchanting your fishing rod with Luck of the Sea. Fishing in open water, especially during rain, increases bite rates and the odds of obtaining rare items like nautilus shells.

2. Killing Drowned

Drowned mobs, which spawn in rivers and oceans, occasionally carry nautilus shells in their off-hand. When killed, they drop whatever they’re holding—making this a reliable method for collecting shells if you can find or create a drowned farm. This method also offers the bonus of collecting other rare drops like tridents.

3. Wandering Traders

Wandering traders sometimes offer nautilus shells in exchange for emeralds. Although not guaranteed in every visit, they can sell up to five shells at a time. This is a quick and convenient option, especially if you have extra emeralds and don’t want to grind mobs or fish for long periods.

How to Get the Heart of the Sea

This rare item can be obtained by locating buried treasure chests, which are marked on treasure maps found in ocean ruins and shipwrecks.

  • Find a Shipwreck or Ocean Ruins – Look for treasure maps in chests. You can use dolphins to help you with this.

  • Use the Buried Treasure Map – Follow the red “X” to locate the treasure.

  • Use Dolphins (Optional) – Feed them raw cod or salmon to guide you to treasure.

  • Go to the Marked Spot – Use coordinates (preferably F3 on Java) to stand at chunk 9,9.

  • Dig Until You Find the Chest – Treasure is usually buried under sand or gravel.

  • Collect the Heart of the Sea – Every buried treasure chest contains one.

  • Craft a Conduit – Combine 1 Heart of the Sea + 8 Nautilus Shells for underwater buffs.

Crafting the Conduit in Minecraft

Before you can activate a conduit and unlock its powerful underwater abilities, you'll first need to craft it. Fortunately, the recipe is simple but requires some rare materials; specifically, a Heart of the Sea and eight Nautilus Shells. These items can be found through exploration, combat, or trading, and once combined, they form one of the most useful blocks for underwater gameplay in Minecraft.

  • Open your crafting table.

  • Place the Heart of the Sea in the center slot.

  • Surround it with 8 nautilus shells.

  • You now have a Conduit – a special block capable of powerful underwater effects.

Building the Activation Frame in Minecraft

To activate the conduit and receive the conduit power effect, follow these steps:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  • Create a 3x3x3 hollow cube of water with a clear center.

  • Build the frame using at least 16 prismarine blocks or variants.

  • Position the Conduit in the exact center of the water.

  • When correctly constructed, the Conduit will light up and activate, granting status effects in a 32-block range.

A fully activated conduit requires up to 42 blocks in a specific structure for maximum effect. The range can increase up to 96 blocks depending on frame size and layout.

Effects of Conduit Power in Minecraft

When activated, the Conduit provides these benefits:

  • Breathe underwater indefinitely

  • Underwater night vision for visibility

  • Increased mining speed (haste effect)

  • Damage to nearby hostile mobs in Bedrock Edition

Tips for Using The Conduit

  • Place temporary block structures around the conduit to protect it from dangerous mobs.

  • Use sea lanterns to light your base and increase visibility.

  • Bring a fishing rod to gather resources while staying near the conduit power zone.

  • Use maps to navigate underwater caves and locate ocean monuments or ocean ruins.

  • Build conduits around multiple ocean monument locations for networked power zones.

  • Consider using wandering traders to restock nautilus shells if you're short on supply.

Interesting Facts About The Conduit

  • A conduit activated under rain or in water gives the same benefits.

  • The frame must be symmetrical and surrounded by water.

  • Players obtain conduit power only within a certain radius.

  • Keep your oxygen levels full when exploring away from the Conduit.

  • Having contact with the conduit beam confirms you're in range.

Final Thoughts

Understanding how to craft, activate, and maximize conduits in Minecraft can significantly enhance your underwater adventures. With the right materials, proper frame design, and strategic placement near ocean zones, conduits provide game-changing power.

Take full advantage of conduit power to breathe underwater, mine efficiently, and survive in ocean biomes. Mastering this structure is key to becoming an expert in underwater gameplay.