AQUA-DESIGN

What AQUA-DESIGN does

Aqua-Design GmbH, operating aqua-design.de, is a privately held German direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 1996 and headquartered in Germany. The company sells aquarium, terrarium, garden pond, and broader pet supplies (dogs, cats, small animals, horses, birds) to consumer hobbyists across the entire aquarium/pond lifecycle — from tanks and terrariums to technical equipment, filtration, lighting, fish food, water care, and pond accessories. It carries both own-brand accessories (e.g., Aqua-Design Reinigungspad cleaning pads, green plastic hoses, activated carbon and peat granulate filter media) and products from 70+ third-party manufacturers including EHEIM, Tetra, Dennerle, Juwel, OASE, sera, and Fluval. The company is part of the broader Aqua-Design Online Group, which operates sister e-commerce properties (StrumpfSocken.de, POPDITO.de, Schmuck-Juweliere.de, TansunHeizer.de).

The technology stack is built entirely on third-party, off-the-shelf infrastructure: the storefront runs on the Gambio e-commerce platform (Onlineshop by Gambio.de), and back-office order processing and fulfillment run on JTL-Software's merchandise management system. The site uses Google Analytics for web analytics and Shariff social plug-ins for privacy-safe sharing. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, no public API, and no native mobile application. Distribution is exclusively through the company's own website; delivery is limited to Germany via DHL in 3–4 business days, with a €5.95 flat shipping rate for bargain-category items and €79.90 for bulky goods such as aquarium combinations. International shipping is not offered.

The business model is straightforward transactional e-commerce: the company generates revenue through per-unit product sales at fixed EUR prices inclusive of German VAT, with no minimum order value and 24-hour ordering. Payment options include PayPal, credit card, SEPA direct debit, prepayment, invoice (from the third order), Amazon Pay, and installment plans. Marketing relies primarily on organic search/category navigation, email newsletters, AWIN affiliate referrals, and privacy-safe social sharing — with limited evidence of paid acquisition. The company has not raised outside funding, has no disclosed revenue, no M&A activity, and no leadership changes on record.

Name

AQUA-DESIGN

Legal name

Aqua-Design GmbH

Website

https://aqua-design.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aqua-Design GmbH is a privately held German D2C e-commerce retailer, founded in 1996, selling aquarium, terrarium, garden pond, and pet supplies to German hobbyists via its own aqua-design.de storefront built on Gambio and JTL-Software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Aquarium, Terrarium & Garden Pond Supplies Retail

NAICS

Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Supplies Inventory-led Online Retailers (CRAFADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail (CRALAHAI)

Keywords

• Aquarium supplies retail
• Garden pond equipment
• Terrarium accessories
• Pet supplies online
• Aquarium fish food

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer online retail of aquarium, terrarium, and garden pond supplies. Products are sold at fixed unit prices per item. Revenue is generated through individual product transactions with no stated minimum order value. The company operates a Schnäppchen (bargain) discount section alongside its full-range catalog.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aqua-Design.com is a German direct-to-consumer online shop founded in 1996 that sells branded aquarium, terrarium, garden pond, and general pet supplies (dogs, cats, small animals, horses, birds) to hobbyist consumers. The catalog is assembled from 70+ third-party manufacturers (EHEIM, Tetra, Dennerle, Juwel, OASE, sera, Fluval, etc.) alongside a small set of own-brand consumables (cleaning pads, filter media, hoses, gloves), with a dedicated Schnäppchen (bargain) discount section, no minimum order value, 24-hour ordering, multiple payment options including installment plans, and 3–4 day DHL delivery within Germany only.

Product overview

Aqua-Design.com is an e-commerce retailer operating since 1996, selling aquarium, terrarium, and garden pond supplies through a multi-category online shop. The company offers its own branded products (Aqua-Design Reinigungspad, filter media, hoses) alongside a wide selection of third-party branded pet and aquarium supplies. The product portfolio spans Aquaristik (aquarium supplies including aquariums, filters, pumps, lighting, fish food, water care), Gartenteich (garden pond supplies), Haustier (pets including fish, dogs, cats, small animals, horses, birds), and Schnäppchen (discounted/bargain items). The company operates as a multi-brand marketplace with no minimum order value and 24-hour ordering service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aqua-Design Reinigungspad (Aqua-Design Cleaning Pad)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AWIN AGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAWIN is a German affiliate marketing network. Aqua-Design participates as a merchant, displaying affiliate marketing banners and links on its website. The partnership enables third-party publishers (affiliates) to promote Aqua-Design products in exchange for click or sale commissions, generating referral traffic and sales.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Garnelio: Germany-based online specialist focused on shrimp, aquarium plants, fish food and aquascaping supplies. Comparable as a hobbyist-focused e-commerce specialist, though narrower in category scope than Aqua-Design.
• Aquariumshop.nl: Dutch online aquarium supplies specialist. Comparable as a dedicated online aquarium retailer serving hobbyists, but focused on the Netherlands/Benelux market rather than Germany.

Direct peers

• ZooRoyal: German online pet retailer (REWE Group) selling aquarium, terrarium and pet supplies. Directly comparable as a domestic e-commerce specialist in the same categories as Aqua-Design.
• ZooPlus (Zooplus): Leading European online pet supplies retailer, now under Fressnapf ownership. Direct online pet-supply competitor with comparable product breadth across aquarium and general pet categories and a similar multi-brand marketplace model.
• Fressnapf: Largest German pet retail chain with a strong online storefront selling aquarium, terrarium, pond and general pet supplies. Directly comparable as a German online pet retailer, though materially larger and multi-category with physical stores.
• Kölle Zoo: German specialist pet retail chain with both physical stores and an online shop, including aquarium, terrarium and pond categories. Comparable as a multi-category German pet retailer with hobbyist focus.

Others

• Interzoo: Leading international trade fair and industry network for the pet supplies industry, including aquaristics. Comparable as an adjacent industry ecosystem player shaping brand distribution and trends relevant to a specialist aquarium retailer.

Regional players

• Dehner: Largest German garden center chain with an online shop that also sells pond, aquarium and pet supplies. Comparable product overlap, particularly in the garden pond category, though anchored in garden retail.

Broad incumbents

• eBay.de: Major German online marketplace with significant aquarium and pet supplies listings across many sellers. Comparable as a broad e-commerce alternative competing for hobbyist search and purchase intent.
• Amazon.de: Germany's largest general online marketplace with a deep aquarium, terrarium and pet supply assortment from third-party sellers and direct vendors. Comparable as an online sales channel for branded aquarium/pet products competing with Aqua-Design on price and convenience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AQUA-DESIGN