Most Aquamirae setup problems fall into one of three buckets: the game cannot launch, the world launches but new content is not visible, or performance drops in modded areas. Diagnose them in that order.
A reproducible troubleshooting order
Start with a minimal profile: correct Minecraft version, correct loader, Aquamirae and only its required dependencies. Confirm the game launches before re-adding optimization mods, shaders and content packs. For world-generation problems, test a fresh world or completely new chunks so an old save does not hide a successful installation.
If the game crashes before the menu
Check the crash report for the first clear missing-dependency or incompatible-version message. Confirm the game version and loader, then remove duplicate or wrong-loader files before changing anything else.
If the Ice Maze does not appear
Test in a fresh world or travel to unexplored chunks. A correctly installed world-generation mod can still appear “missing” if you only inspect terrain generated before installation.
If the problem appears only in a large modpack
Create a minimal profile with Aquamirae and its required dependencies. If that works, re-add other mods in batches until the conflict reappears.
If an old guide gives different instructions
Match instructions to your exact Aquamirae and Minecraft versions. Loader migrations and dependency changes can make older tutorials inaccurate even when their basic ideas are sound.