Aquatic Design Centre

What Aquatic Design Centre does

The Aquatic Design Centre Limited is a London-based specialist firm, founded in 1985, that designs, manufactures, installs and maintains bespoke aquariums for commercial, residential, institutional and media clients in the UK and internationally. The company operates a two-acre workshop facility in Surrey for large-scale glass aquarium fabrication, filtration manufacture, steel supports and cabinetry, alongside a retail showroom in Balham, London stocking over 400 tanks of marine and freshwater livestock. Bespoke commissions span landmark venues including Sexy Fish Restaurant, Vue International cinemas, Fondazione Prada Milan (Damien Hirst's 16,560-litre installation) and Hauser & Wirth London (Pierre Huyghe), with the company claiming more than 1,500 installations completed.

The underlying technology stack is built around custom glass fabrication (Clear Float or Opti White Low Iron Glass in Standard Braced, Deluxe, Rimless and unusual geometries), advanced filtration engineering (sump tanks, protein and waste skimmers, phosphate removal, UV sterilisation, reverse-osmosis water supply with auto top-up and mineral dosing) and biological infrastructure including an in-house coral farm and large quarantine facility with CITES-compliant sourcing. The firm is licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (licence 19/lOO7) and is a member of the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association (OATA).

Revenue is generated across four streams: one-time custom design and installation projects, recurring maintenance contracts on a base of more than 1,500 tanks (with 24/7 emergency call-out for existing clients), retail product sales across livestock, plants, equipment and decor (delivered within the London M25, with click-and-collect via Tropical Marine Centre partnership), and professional services for film, television, photographic and art exhibition clients. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales for commercial accounts with a physical retail storefront and online ordering for hobbyist consumers; pricing is unit-based for livestock and equipment with free delivery over £60 within the M25.

Name

Aquatic Design Centre

Legal name

The Aquatic Design Centre Limited

Website

https://aquaticdesign.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquarium Design and Installation Services

NAICS

Other Aquaculture (112519)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail (CRALAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ornamental & Aquarium Fish Farming (AFAEAAAJ), Aquatic Pet Boarding & Care (Fish/Invertebrates) (HSANAKAD)

Keywords

• Custom aquarium design
• Aquarium installation services
• Aquarium maintenance services
• Marine livestock retail
• Aquatic equipment supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Aquarium Design and Installation: Bespoke aquarium design, manufacturing and installation services for commercial and residential clients. Includes initial consultation, project management, site study, and full installation with lighting, plumbing, and filtration systems.
2. Aquarium Maintenance Services: Ongoing maintenance contracts for commercial and residential aquariums. Services include on and off site water monitoring, with over 1500 fish tanks maintained. Commercial clients include hotels, restaurants, stores, airports, and offices. Provides nationwide coverage and overseas management.
3. Retail Product Sales: Sale of aquariums, livestock (fish, corals, plants, invertebrates), equipment, accessories, and consumables through physical store and online ordering. Browsable inventory of over 400 tanks of marine and freshwater livestock.
4. Media and Television Services: Aquarium installations, equipment hire, and animal handling for film productions, commercials, photographic shoots, and art exhibitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aquatic Design Centre designs, manufactures, and installs bespoke aquariums for commercial and residential clients, and operates a London retail shop selling freshwater and marine livestock, plants, aquarium kits, decor, and accessories. The company also provides ongoing nationwide aquarium maintenance services with 24-hour emergency support for existing clients and supplies aquarium installations, equipment hire, and animal handling for film, television, photographic, and art projects.

Product overview

Aquatic Design Centre is a specialist aquarium design, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance company based in London, UK. The company operates a retail shop offering aquarium supplies and livestock alongside its core service offerings. Its product portfolio comprises three main pillars: custom aquarium design and installation services (including bespoke glass aquarium manufacturing, filtration systems, and professional installation), aquarium maintenance services (nationwide coverage with 24-hour emergency support), and retail operations (selling freshwater livestock, marine livestock including corals and invertebrates, aquatic plants, and aquarium equipment). The company also provides media services for film and television productions. Products range from custom-built bespoke aquariums to branded starter kits (AquaOne, Juwel, TMC, RedSea, OakStyle), and the retail shop stocks extensive livestock inventory across 400+ tanks featuring hundreds of fish species, coral frags, and aquatic plants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Aquarium Design, Manufacture & Installation Bespoke aquarium design, manufacturing, and installation service for residential and commercial clients. Includes custom glass aquariums (Clear Float Glass or Opti White Low Iron Glass) in Standard Braced, Deluxe, Rimless, Cyclical and Hexagonal configurations, plus filtration system engineering, steel supports, and cabinet fabrication, delivered by in-house designers and engineers.
• Aquarium Maintenance Services Nationwide professional aquarium and fish tank maintenance service for freshwater, marine, and coral reef systems using a dedicated in-house team of engineers and experts. Includes on-site and off-site water monitoring, supply of accessories and equipment from the London shop, and 24-hour emergency call-out service for existing clients.
• Retail Shop & Aquarium Supplies Brick-and-mortar aquatic retail operation offering aquarium supplies, equipment, and livestock including freshwater fish, marine fish, corals, plants, accessories, and consumables. Customers can visit the Balham shop, order online with click-and-collect or London M25 delivery, or call to place orders.
• Media Services Aquarium installations, equipment hire, and animal handling services for film and television productions, commercials, photographic shoots, and art exhibitions. Includes purpose-built aquarium design, livestock provision, and on-site technical support during shoots or exhibitions.
• Freshwater Livestock Browseable selection of tropical and coldwater fish for hobbyists and residential customers, including angels, barbs, bettas, catfish, cichlids, tetras, goldfish, gouramis, killifish, guppies, plecos, and other freshwater species held in the Balham shop's livestock tanks.
• Corals and Invertebrates Marine livestock offering including cultured coral frags (LPS hard corals such as Acan, Hammer, Frogspawn, and Brain corals; SPS hard corals such as Acropora, Montipora, and Pocillopora; soft corals such as Toadstool, Star Polyp, and Zoanthids) and marine invertebrates including shrimps, clams, snails, crabs, starfish, and urchins.
• Ultra Zoanthids Specialist collection of zoanthid and ultra zoa coral varieties in multiple color morphs and grades for marine aquarium hobbyists.
• Aquatic Plants Range of aquarium plants including stem plants, carpeting plants, sword plants, mosses, and ferns across bunches, pots, 1-2Grow formats, rock or wood mounts, moss tubs, and large or special sizes, supplied from Europe's leading plant suppliers.
• Aquarium Starter Kits Pre-packaged aquarium kits from brands including AquaOne, Juwel, TMC, RedSea, OakStyle, and Ciano, ranging from nano tanks (Ciano Cube 15L from £45.59) to larger reef systems (Juwel Vision 450 at £1,560) and AquaNano models at multiple litre capacities.
• Aquarium Decor and Ornaments Decorative range for aquariums including driftwood, rockwork, substrates, ceramic ornaments, backgrounds, plastic plants, and silk plants sold through the retail shop and online.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 bespoke aquarium installations completed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association (OATA)coreOthersProud members of OATA, the trade association representing the ornamental aquatic industry. Licensed to sell animals as pets under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Licence Number 19/lOO7.
• Tropical Marine Centre (TMC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAquatic Design Centre serves as a dealer for Tropical Marine Centre, offering online shopping with in-store collection. Customers can purchase TMC products online and collect at the ADC store, receiving professional guidance from trusted local experts.
• Aqua OneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of Aqua One aquarium products including tanks, filters, and accessories.
• Juwel AquariumsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of Juwel aquarium products across multiple model ranges including Rio, Vision, Trigon, and Primo series.
• DennerleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of Dennerle aquarium products including planted tank substrates, equipment, and plant care range.
• RedSea Reef SystemsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of RedSea reef aquarium systems including MAX NANO CUBE and complete reef systems.
• TMC Marine HabitatminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of TMC Marine Habitat aquarium products including First Wave, Next Wave, and Reef Habitat systems.
• D-D AquaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of D-D Aqua Pro aquariums and related products.
• OASEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of OASE aquarium products.
• CianominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of Ciano aquarium products including Emotions Pro range.
• EheimminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockist of Eheim aquarium products including kits and equipment.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Eheim: German premium manufacturer of canister filters, aquarium kits and accessories supplied to independent aquatic retailers. ADC is a UK stockist; comparable on shared hobbyist customer base and product category rather than head-to-head retail.
• Aqua One: Australian-origin manufacturer of entry-level aquariums, filters and accessories distributed across the UK and Europe. Operates through retailers including ADC; overlaps on customer/buyer profile but does not directly compete.
• Juwel Aquarium: German manufacturer of mid-range complete aquarium systems (Rio, Vision, Trigon, Primo ranges) widely distributed through UK aquatic retailers. ADC is a stockist - shared product category but different position in value chain.
• OASE: German-based global manufacturer of aquariums, pond and water-feature equipment sold through garden centres and aquatic retailers. Comparable via overlapping product portfolio and hobbyist customer base; ADC is a stockist rather than competitor.
• Ciano: Portuguese manufacturer of aquarium kits including the Emotions Pro range. ADC stocks Ciano products for hobbyist buyers; comparable in product category and customer overlap without direct competition.
• Red Sea: Israeli-founded global manufacturer of reef aquarium systems (RSC, MAX NANO, Reefer ranges) and water-treatment products. Shared customer base of marine hobbyists; ADC resells Red Sea equipment rather than competing.
• Dennerle: German manufacturer specialising in planted-aquarium substrates, fertilisers and equipment. ADC resells its planted-tank range; comparable via shared aquarium hobbyist buyer base but not head-to-head.
• Tropical Marine Centre (TMC): UK-based aquatic products manufacturer, wholesaler and brand owner of TMC and Reef Habitat ranges. Operates as ADC's primary wholesale supplier and direct partner; shares customer base (hobbyists and retailers) but sits in the supply chain rather than competing end-customer.

Broad incumbents

• Pets at Home: UK's largest omnichannel pet retailer (LSE: PETS) with significant aquarium, fish and live livestock categories across its store base. Overlaps with ADC's retail/hobbyist segment but lacks bespoke design and installation as a core offering.

Direct peers

• Maidenhead Aquatics: UK's largest specialist aquarium retail chain (30+ stores), offering livestock, equipment, plant sales and custom aquarium design/installation services. Most directly comparable on the combination of physical retail, bespoke design and recurring maintenance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AquaticDesignUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AquaticDesignCentre/feed
• Facebookfacebook.com/aquaticdesigncentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/aquaticdesigncentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aquatic-design-centre

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Aquatic Design Centre