Thanks! It was more a balancing game. At one point during testing I remember that waste buildup was so bad you basically were forced to do all 5 plants before bugs, and the water would drain SUPER fast (it still goes down faster than I would like tbh) then I ended up making it so slow that it became a non-factor. Eventually I got a playable balance out of it though.
Desktop games/pets are pretty much just idle games but with slightly more interactivity. The main thing with them is to have things to do, but also not be pressured into checking in too often.
I agree completely about the graphics, it's the one aspect I actually kind of dislike but I needed a "good enough for the jam" placeholder - unfortunately I never had a chance to remake it. Moonlight came in pretty late and only had time to do the bug art (RIP the ladybugs are so small in game you can't see all the nice details) but if I remake this game, improved visuals across the board is a high priority for me.