Paqua

What Paqua does

Paqua is a small Dutch private company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Oosterbeek, Netherlands, specializing in the design, construction, maintenance, and furnishing of custom vivaria — aquariums, ponds (vijvers), terrariums, and paludaria. The company's product portfolio includes named aquarium lines (Paqua Classic, Roble, Pino, Design, Caoba, Cube, Paqua-Terra) built with furniture-grade cabinetry in multiple wood species such as American cherry, red oak, tulipwood, beech, elm, purpleheart, and jatoba. Its proprietary Achterwanden (background walls) are custom-fabricated to mimic specific biotypes while concealing technical equipment such as pump hoses and heating elements. The company also offers specialized pond construction, including Koi ponds and ponds with integrated glass viewing windows.

Paqua generates revenue through four streams: one-time sales of custom-built aquariums, ponds, terraria, and paludaria; recurring equipment rental with full-service installation for businesses and institutions; recurring maintenance contracts covering setup, fish/animal management, water quality, and advisory services; and professional custom design consultation conducted on customer premises. Pricing is quote-based for most products, with one promotional SKU (Paqua Cube Kersen) listed at €395 including VAT. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct: customers contact Paqua via phone or email, request quotes, and either order standard models or commission custom designs following on-site consultation. The company also distributes through its website portfolio and direct outreach.

Paqua serves two primary customer segments: individual consumers (hobbyists seeking eye-catching home or garden vivaria) and businesses/institutions (using the rental and full-service maintenance offerings for reception areas, recreational spaces, or decorative purposes). Geographic reach is confined to the Netherlands. The firm operates with 1-10 employees, is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or parent company, and its website's last documented update is May 9, 2007 — a data currency limitation that should be flagged in any diligence process.

Name

Paqua

Legal name

Paqua

Website

https://paqua.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Paqua is a small Dutch artisan company (founded 2006, Oosterbeek) that designs, builds, and maintains custom aquariums, ponds, terrariums, and paludaria for individual hobbyists and businesses/institutions in the Netherlands, offering both one-time sales and recurring rental/maintenance contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Aquarium and Vivarium Design

NAICS

Household and Institutional Furniture Manufacturing (33712), Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing (3371)

SIC

Household Furniture (2510), Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Features Design & Installation (Ponds, Fountains, Waterfalls) (HSAIABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Features (Ponds, Fountains & Waterfalls) (HSAPALAJ)

Keywords

• Custom aquarium design
• Vivarium construction
• Pond installation services
• Terrarium design
• Aquarium cabinetry

Headquarters

HQ city

Oosterbeek

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Aquarium, Pond, Terrarium, and Paludarium Sales: Custom-built and standard vivarium products sold directly to customers. Products include aquaria in various sizes and configurations, ponds for garden installation, terraria for reptiles/amphibians, and paludaria combining land and water elements. Each product can include custom cabinetry, lighting, filtration, and heating systems.
2. Equipment Rental Services: Rental of aquaria, terraria, and paludaria to businesses and institutions. Rental includes options for installation, setup, furnishing, and technical equipment. Provides flexibility for companies wanting aquarium aesthetics without full ownership commitment.
3. Maintenance Contracts: Ongoing maintenance services for purchased or rented enclosures. Contracts can include setup, fish/animal management, daily maintenance, water quality management, and advisory services. Allows customers to outsource ongoing care of their vivaria.
4. Custom Design Services: Design consultation services where Paqua visits customer premises to discuss requirements, provides custom design options for enclosures based on animal species, interior aesthetics, and technical requirements such as lighting, heating, and filtration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Paqua designs, builds, and maintains custom aquariums, ponds (vijvers), terrariums, and paludaria for residential and commercial customers in the Netherlands. The company fabricates enclosures with custom wood cabinetry (cherry, oak, tulipwood, pine, jatoba, etc.), integrates lighting, filtration, and heating systems, and produces custom decorative background walls. In addition to sales, Paqua offers on-site design consultation, professional installation, recurring maintenance contracts, and a rental-with-full-service program for businesses and institutions.

Product overview

Paqua is a young Dutch company offering design, maintenance, and outfitting of vivaria including aquariums, ponds (vijvers), terrariums, and paludaria. The product portfolio consists of custom-built physical enclosures available in multiple models (Paqua Classic, Paqua Roble, Paqua Pino, Paqua Design, Paqua Caoba, Paqua Cube, Paqua-Terra) and standard aquarium types, complemented by custom background walls (achterwanden) in various biotope designs. Services include on-site custom design consultation, professional installation, rental programs for businesses, and maintenance contracts. The company operates from Oosterbeek, Netherlands, serving both residential and business customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paqua Classic Custom aquarium with handcrafted wooden cabinet, available in American cherry, tulip wood, or koloniaal black finishes. Includes integrated lighting, external filtration, and heating system. Sold directly to consumers seeking a centerpiece aquarium tailored to their interior.
• Paqua Roble Custom aquarium with red oak cabinet, available in standard or white-washed finish (Roble White). Larger format (150 x 60 x 50 cm, 450 L) with 250 Watt heating and external filtration. Aimed at consumers wanting a premium oak-finished aquarium.
• Paqua Pino Large-format custom aquarium with pine wood cabinet. Highest-volume standard model at 576 liters with 2 x 58 Watt lighting and combined external/thermofilter system, suited for serious hobbyists wanting a statement piece.
• Paqua-Terra Paludarium enclosure with birch wood cabinet that combines terrestrial and aquatic zones in a single unit, simulating tropical waterfall environments. For hobbyists interested in keeping amphibians, reptiles, and tropical fish together.
• Paqua Design Custom aquarium featuring Jatoba wood cabinetry with stainless steel-look support columns. Mid-size format (375 L) targeting design-conscious consumers who want a contemporary aesthetic.
• Paqua Caoba Custom aquarium with red lacquered fir wood cabinet finished in a mahogany color tone. Sold to consumers seeking a classical dark-wood appearance.
• Paqua Cube Kersen Compact cube-format aquarium with American cherry cabinet, internal filter, and integrated lighting/heating. Sold as a smaller, entry-level option to consumers; occasionally promoted at a flat promotional price.
• Aquaria (Custom Aquariums) Custom aquarium line offered as full-glass aquariums or full-cabinet configurations with light hoods. Customers select wood type, color, and dimensions to match interior aesthetics; available in both standard sizing and fully custom designs.
• Vijvers (Garden Ponds) Custom garden pond design, construction, and advisory service. Includes Koi ponds, natural-style ponds, and ponds with glass viewing windows; covers shape, size, planting, filtration, lighting, and species selection.
• Terraria (Terrariums) Custom terrariums sized and equipped for reptiles and amphibians, with appropriate heating and species-specific lighting. Designed to integrate visually with the customer's interior.
• Paludaria Custom paludaria enclosures combining terrestrial and aquatic zones to simulate tropical waterfall or jungle-stream biotopes. Available in custom sizes with optional background walls and cabinetry in multiple wood types and colors.
• Achterwand (Background Walls) Custom-fabricated decorative background walls designed to fit specific aquaria biotypes. Mimic natural rock and river environments while concealing pump hoses, heating elements, and other technical equipment. Available in multiple biotype designs and custom dimensions.
• Aquarium Verhuur (Rental Service) Rental program for aquariums, terraria, and paludaria aimed at businesses and institutions. Includes model selection, installation, furnishing, technical setup, and optional ongoing maintenance — allowing clients to feature aquarium aesthetics without owning the equipment.
• Onderhoud en Inrichting (Maintenance and Setup) Recurring maintenance contracts covering setup, fish/animal stocking, daily care, water quality management, and advisory services. Lets customers fully or partially outsource the ongoing care of their vivarium or pond.
• Ontwerp (Custom Design Service) On-site custom design service where Paqua visits the customer, assesses the location, and develops an enclosure design tailored to animal species, interior style, lighting, heating, and filtration requirements. Multiple wood types are offered including beech, oak, elm, cherry, purpleheart, and tulip wood.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• EHEIM: German manufacturer of aquarium filtration, pumps, and technical equipment widely used in European vivarium and aquarium installations. Comparable to Paqua as a key equipment supplier embedded in the same European custom-aquarium ecosystem that Paqua serves.
• OASE Living Water: German-headquartered manufacturer of water-feature pumps, pond equipment, and indoor aquarium products sold across Europe. Comparable to Paqua as a broad incumbent whose pond, fountain, and aquarium offerings overlap with Paqua's custom pond and aquarium business, though OASE is a mass-market product brand rather than a custom installer.
• Juwel Aquarium: German manufacturer of standardized aquarium systems with cabinets sold across Europe. Comparable to Paqua as a broader aquarium-with-cabinetry player, though Juwel competes in mass-produced enclosures where Paqua offers bespoke cabinetry and biotype customization.
• Rolf C. Hagen (Hagen): Global pet and aquarium products group distributing brands such as Fluval, Marina, and Nutrafin across Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the aquarium supply category overlapping with Paqua's customer-facing aquarium business, though Hagen does not provide custom design and installation.

Direct peers

• Aqua Design Amano (ADA): Japan-rooted premium aquatic design brand (often distributed via partners like Aqua Forest Aquarium) specializing in nature aquariums with custom substrate, hardscape, and equipment. Comparable to Paqua in the premium/biotope custom aquarium niche, particularly to Paqua's background wall and biotype-focused design work.
• Aqua Forest Aquarium: US-based custom aquarium design, installation, and maintenance company serving high-end residential and commercial clients. Directly comparable to Paqua across the full lifecycle (custom build, installation, ongoing maintenance), differing mainly in geography and scale.
• Living Color Aquariums: US-based custom aquarium design and installation firm serving residential and commercial clients with bespoke built-in and freestanding tanks. Directly comparable to Paqua's custom aquarium and B2B installation business model, differing mainly in geographic market.

Others

• AquaIllumination / Neptune Systems (custom aquarium service partners): US-based manufacturer of aquarium controllers, lighting, and monitoring equipment sold into the custom aquarium market. Adjacent ecosystem participant to Paqua, supplying the type of filtration, lighting, and control equipment integrated into Paqua's custom installations.
• Tropica: Danish aquatic plant producer selling into the European planted-aquarium and aquascaping market. Thematically adjacent to Paqua's aquarium and paludarium business, serving the same hobbyist customer base with plants and aquascaping inputs rather than enclosures.

Regional players

• Velda: Netherlands-based manufacturer of pond equipment, filtration, and water gardening products. Comparable to Paqua's vijver (pond) business as a domestic Dutch peer serving the same garden/pond customer base, though Velda is a product supplier rather than a custom design-and-install service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Paqua