I once completed Super Popular almost by accident - I got the Celebrity charisma challenge, and then the Painting opportunity for teaching a class at the school. My sim ended up "friends" with every child and teen townie and NPC in the game, plus the teachers, which added to the six friends I already had.... it felt kind of cheap, but there it was.
I've found one useful thing about Presenting the Perfect Aquarium: You don't have to catch all the fish yourself, or in fact any of them. Two sims with the wish can cooperate, or an adult in the household can catch fish for a child or teen. Even if you're doing it yourself, if you start with a list of the 13 lowest-level fish and their appropriate bait, it doesn't take too long.