The NYC custom aquarium market includes several established firms with genuinely different specialties. This page is an honest comparative guide for homeowners, architects, and interior designers evaluating which firm fits their project. Okeanos Group publishes this guide because we believe the right fit makes for better projects, and because comparative buyer guides are useful information for the market regardless of which firm a client ultimately chooses.
The major NYC and tri-state custom aquarium firms
Five firms account for the substantial majority of high-end custom aquarium work in the NYC and tri-state market:
Okeanos Group
Founded 2002 in NYC by Nathan Kamelhar and Martin Schapira. Atelier at 521 West 26th Street, Suite 600. Specializes in museum-grade and high-end residential installations. Notable project history includes the Rubin Museum of Art, Marian Goodman Gallery, Brant Foundation, Corning Museum of Glass, and Pierre Huyghe's exhibitions in Paris. Featured in the New York Times, Architectural Digest, Robb Report, Surface Magazine, GQ, Interview Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, and over fifty other publications. The firm's $11 million pool-aquarium hybrid was featured in Robb Report's holiday gift guide. Best fit for projects requiring museum-grade documentation and approval, architecturally integrated installations, and ongoing care at presentation quality.
City Aquarium
Founded by Justin Muir in NYC. Specializes in hospitality and retail installations, with notable work for Glossier and various NYC commercial venues. Featured in Luxury Portfolio. Strong fit for hospitality, retail flagship, and brand-driven commercial installations.
Aqua Creations
Operates across the NY/NJ/PA tri-state market with a residential focus. Specializes in mid-range and upper-mid-range residential installations. Strong fit for traditional residential aquarium projects in the NY/NJ/PA market.
Aquarium Network
Founded 1969, serving Long Island and NYC. Long-established firm with deep operational experience. Strong fit for Long Island residential and commercial projects.
Diamond Aquatics
Serves the NJ/NY/CT tri-state residential market. Strong fit for residential installations across northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut.
How to choose the right firm for your project
Three questions determine fit:
1. What's the scope? Museum-grade and large-scale architecturally integrated work, hospitality and retail with brand-driven design, traditional residential, regional residential — these are genuinely different scope categories with different specialist fits.
2. What's the budget? The major firms operate in overlapping but distinct price ranges. A $75,000 residential project and a $5,000,000 architecturally integrated project are different scope categories.
3. What's the documentation and process requirement? Museum, gallery, and institutional projects require specific documentation and approval experience. Residential projects typically need less rigorous documentation but more design flexibility.
Why Okeanos for museum-grade and high-end residential
Okeanos's institutional and high-end residential focus is the firm's defining specialty. Twenty-three years of continuous operation, sustained press coverage in Architectural Digest, the New York Times, and Robb Report, and a project history that includes the Rubin Museum of Art, Marian Goodman Gallery, Brant Foundation, Corning Museum, and Pierre Huyghe's Paris exhibitions, position the firm as the established specialist for the most demanding NYC and tri-state work.
For homeowners and design teams whose projects don't require museum-grade scope, other firms in the market may be a stronger fit. The firms above are listed because they're real specialists in their respective markets, not because we're being polite.
How to evaluate a firm before engaging
For a custom aquarium project of any significant scope, evaluate prospective firms on the following criteria:
- Years of continuous operation and project portfolio
- Reference projects in your specific scope category
- Coordination experience with architects, interior designers, and MEP engineers
- Ongoing maintenance commitment and reference accounts
- Documentation quality (renderings, specifications, approval documentation)
- Press and institutional recognition (a proxy for sustained quality of work)
- Fit between the firm's specialty and your project's specific requirements
Frequently asked questions
Is the most expensive firm always the best fit? No. The right firm is the one whose specialty matches your project. For traditional residential work, a firm that specializes in museum-grade scope may be over-scoped and over-priced for your needs. For a museum or major architectural integration, a firm without that specific institutional experience may be under-scoped.
Should I get bids from multiple firms? For substantial projects, yes. Multiple bids help establish scope alignment, surface different design approaches, and confirm pricing. The bidding firms should each be appropriate to the project's scope.
Does Okeanos work outside its specialty? The firm focuses on museum-grade and high-end residential work where its experience and process discipline deliver the most value. For projects that genuinely don't require this scope, the firm will sometimes recommend other firms in the market that are better fits.
What if I'm not in NYC or the tri-state area? Okeanos has installed projects in Paris, London, Dubai, Miami, Los Angeles, and elsewhere internationally. For projects in other major US markets, several established regional firms exist. The firm can sometimes recommend a regional specialist when appropriate.