Ocean Floor

What Ocean Floor does

The Ocean Floor is a family-owned and operated specialty aquarium retail business headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Operating from a 17,500-square-foot historic converted roller rink at 2347 West Thomas Road, the company stocks over 150 aquariums containing freshwater, saltwater, and tropical fish, alongside an extensive coral inventory and a full aquarium supply catalog. The store also maintains 2,200 gallons of real harvested seawater in two tanks and self-describes as the largest tropical fish and aquarium store in the western United States. The customer base consists of individual aquarium hobbyists ranging from first-time tank owners to experienced reef keepers, as well as families and school groups visiting for educational outings on appointment.

The revenue model is anchored in direct-to-consumer retail sales of livestock (fish and corals), aquarium hardware (standard and custom-built tanks, stands, lighting, filtration), and consumable supplies (food, water treatments, substrates, and the proprietary Tropical Science Products line). A secondary revenue stream comes from professional aquarium service and maintenance, including delivery and installation for reef tanks and recurring upkeep contracts. For higher-ticket custom aquarium purchases, the company facilitates third-party installment financing through Form Piper, which broadens affordability without exposing Ocean Floor to balance-sheet credit risk. Distribution occurs almost exclusively through the single Phoenix retail location, supplemented by an informational website and omnichannel content marketing via blog, social media, and an email 'Fish Club' newsletter; no transactional e-commerce channel is disclosed.

The firm has no proprietary technology platform, software offering, API, or data infrastructure; operations are rooted in physical retail expertise supported by an 18-person staff that includes custom aquarium builders and livestock specialists. The business has operated for approximately 18 years (as of a 2016 source) and earned the Phoenix New Times 'Best Aquarium Store' award in 2017. Headcount, footprint, and absence of disclosed expansion indicate a stable, mature small retail operation rather than a growth-stage business.

Name

Ocean Floor

Legal name

The Ocean Floor

Website

https://oceanfloorstore.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ocean Floor is a family-owned, single-location aquarium retailer in Phoenix, Arizona, selling freshwater and saltwater fish, corals, custom aquariums, supplies, and professional maintenance services to aquarium hobbyists and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Pet Retail

NAICS

Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail (CRALAHAI)

Keywords

• Tropical fish retail
• Aquarium supplies store
• Custom aquarium building
• Reef tank installation
• Aquarium maintenance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Physical retail sales of tropical fish (freshwater and saltwater), aquariums, corals, supplies, food, and accessories from the 17,500 sq ft Phoenix store.
2. Financing Services: Third-party financing options through Form Piper for customers to finance aquarium and fish purchases, providing installment payment options for larger purchases.
3. Service and Maintenance: Aquarium service and maintenance offerings for customers who want professional upkeep of their aquariums.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ocean Floor operates a 17,500 sq ft physical retail store in Phoenix, AZ selling live freshwater, saltwater, and tropical fish, standard and custom-built aquariums, corals, and aquarium supplies. The company also provides aquarium service and maintenance, including delivery and installation of reef tanks for hobbyists and families.

Product overview

Ocean Floor is a family-owned retail fish store and aquarium service provider operating as a single-location brick-and-mortar retail operation. The business offers live fish (freshwater, saltwater, and tropical varieties), aquariums (both standard and custom-built), corals, aquarium supplies and equipment, professional maintenance services, and financing options. The product portfolio centers on the retail sale of aquatic pets and the infrastructure needed to house them, complemented by service plans for customers seeking maintenance support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Fish (Freshwater, Saltwater, Tropical) Sale of live freshwater, saltwater, and tropical fish, including a captive-bred livestock emphasis, displayed across 150+ aquariums stocked with 2,200 gallons of real seawater. Targeted at aquarium hobbyists and families in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
• Custom Aquariums Design and build of custom aquariums, including delivery and on-site installation of reef tanks for hobbyists and families seeking larger or specialized setups.
• Corals Sale of live corals for reef tank hobbyists, held in stocked aquariums at the Phoenix retail location.
• Aquarium Supplies Retail sale of aquarium supplies (e.g., substrate, equipment, water care products) supporting both freshwater and saltwater hobbyist setups.
• Aquarium Service and Maintenance Ongoing aquarium service and maintenance for hobbyists and families, including care for installed reef tanks and standard aquariums purchased through the store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognized as Best Aquarium Store by Phoenix New Times

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Disney / Pet Industry CampaignminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 June 2016Participated in a campaign with Disney and the pet industry promoting responsible fish ownership in connection with the Finding Dory film release. Ocean Floor manager Dan Walker was quoted in the news about the campaign to prevent impulse purchases of blue tang fish.
• US Fish & Wildlife Service - Don't Let It Loose ProjectminorOthersSupports the Don't Let It Loose project promoted by US Fish & Wildlife Service to protect animals from being released into the wild. The store offers to accept unwanted fish and provide quality advice on rehoming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Chewy: Large online pet retailer with a growing aquarium and fish supplies category. Comparable because it increasingly competes on supplies and certain livestock categories that Ocean Floor depends on for basket size.
• PetSmart: Largest US specialty pet retailer carrying aquariums, fish, and supplies. Comparable because it sells the same core categories (live fish, tanks, supplies) to hobbyists, but at much broader scale and across many categories beyond aquariums.
• Petco: National specialty pet retailer with a strong live-fish and aquarium assortment. Comparable in product overlap (fish, tanks, supplies) but serves a much wider pet category and competes primarily on convenience rather than specialty expertise.

Direct peers

• House of Tropicals: Independent aquarium specialty store in Maryland offering freshwater, saltwater fish, plants, and supplies. Comparable as a destination-scale aquarium retailer focused on the same hobbyist customer base with strong selection and expertise.
• LiveAquaria: Online specialty retailer of live fish, corals, plants, and aquarium supplies. Comparable because it sells the same core live-fish and aquarium-supply categories, with overlapping target hobbyist customer, but competes nationally via e-commerce.
• The Wet Spot Tropical Fish: Independent specialty retailer focused on freshwater tropical fish, plants, and dry goods. Comparable because it targets the same aquarium hobbyist segment with curated live-fish inventory and supplies, primarily via mail order.
• That Pet Place: Independent pet and aquarium superstore in Lancaster, PA, operating a large-format store with live fish, aquariums, supplies, and educational content. Closely comparable as a family-run, destination-scale specialty aquarium retailer.
• Tropic Isle: Independent aquarium and pet retailer with live fish, tanks, and supplies. Comparable as a specialty aquarium retailer serving hobbyists with a similar in-store consultation and product selection model.

Emerging players

• Premium Aquatics: Online specialist in freshwater fish, plants, and aquarium supplies. Comparable in core product categories and target hobbyist, but competes through online/direct shipping rather than a destination storefront.

Regional players

• Arizona Aquatic Gardens: Aquatic plant and fish retailer based in the Phoenix/Tucson area. Comparable in product mix (live fish, plants, aquarium supplies) and geography, making it the most direct local competitor to Ocean Floor in the Arizona market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OceanFloorStore
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXYTLYH7o8q1LjEZUx8jx3w
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheOceanFloor
• Instagraminstagram.com/oceanfloorstore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocean-floor

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 Ocean Floor