Okeanos Group designs and installs custom luxury aquariums for high-end private residences in NYC and across the tri-state area. The firm has worked with homeowners directly and through their design teams since 2002, completing projects in Manhattan penthouses, townhouses, Westchester estates, Greenwich and Fairfield County homes, the Hamptons, and northern New Jersey. Custom residential installations typically range from $50,000 for substantial reef systems to over $2,000,000 for fully integrated architectural installations.
Who Okeanos works with
The firm's residential clients are typically homeowners undertaking significant new construction or renovation projects, often working with an established interior designer or architect. Okeanos can be engaged directly by the homeowner or through the project's design team. The firm's institutional process is the same in both cases.
For homeowners not currently working with a design team, the firm can recommend established collaborators in the tri-state market or work directly on the aquarium scope while the homeowner coordinates the surrounding construction or renovation themselves.
What's involved in a custom residential aquarium
A custom luxury aquarium is not a tank purchase. It's a multi-month design, fabrication, installation, and biological establishment project that requires coordination with the home's architect, builder, MEP engineer, and finish trades. The firm handles the full aquarium scope:
- Design and 3D rendering of the proposed installation
- Structural, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC specifications for the home's design team
- Custom tank fabrication (typically eight to twelve weeks)
- On-site installation (typically one week, plus building coordination)
- Biological establishment (six to eight weeks before livestock)
- Livestock acclimation and placement (three to six months for full stocking)
- Ongoing maintenance under a recurring service contract
Project timeline
A typical residential project runs six to eighteen months from initial consultation to fully established and stocked. The exact timeline depends on tank complexity, livestock complexity (reef systems take longer than freshwater), and the surrounding construction schedule.
For homeowners with a defined move-in date, the firm works backward from move-in to schedule the installation window. The biological establishment phase is the typical project completion buffer because the system needs six to eight weeks of stabilization before livestock, which usually aligns with the homeowner's final finish-out and move-in period.
Pricing for residential projects
Custom residential aquarium installations across the firm's tri-state market typically fall in these ranges:
- Entry-level: $50,000 to $150,000 for 200 to 500-gallon systems
- Mid-range: $150,000 to $500,000 for 500 to 1,500-gallon reef systems with custom cabinetry
- High-end: $500,000 to $2,000,000 for fully integrated architectural installations
- Specialty: $2,000,000+ for pool-aquarium hybrids, multi-system installations, museum-scale residential work
Pricing depends on tank size and material, livestock complexity, life-support engineering, integration with existing or new architecture, and the ongoing maintenance contract scope.
Ongoing maintenance
Custom aquariums require ongoing professional maintenance. Okeanos provides recurring maintenance contracts for all installed systems, typically with weekly or bi-weekly technician visits, water chemistry monitoring, livestock health monitoring, equipment servicing, and 24-hour emergency response for critical system issues.
Maintenance contracts typically run $1,500 to $10,000 per month depending on system complexity and service level. Maintenance is structured as a long-term relationship; most of the firm's clients have maintained their systems with Okeanos for many years.
Press and recognition
Okeanos's residential work has been featured in publications including the New York Times, Architectural Digest, Robb Report, Surface Magazine, Interview Magazine, and GQ. The firm's pool-aquarium hybrid project was featured in Robb Report's holiday gift guide with a starting price of $11 million.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a custom aquarium in a Manhattan apartment? Yes. Manhattan apartment installations are a significant part of the firm's work. Pre-war buildings typically require a structural assessment for larger tanks; modern buildings usually have more straightforward structural capacity. Building management coordination is part of the standard scope.
What size tank can I have in my home? The constraint is typically structural load (water alone is roughly 8.3 pounds per gallon), not tank availability. Residential installations range from a few hundred gallons to several thousand gallons. The firm assesses the proposed location structurally before scoping the tank size.
How do you handle livestock decisions? Livestock selection, sourcing, acclimation, and ongoing care are part of the standard scope. The firm works with the homeowner to establish the aesthetic direction (freshwater plants vs reef coral vs species-specific display) and handles all subsequent livestock decisions.
What if I'm not in a major metro area? The firm has installed projects in Paris, London, Dubai, Miami, Los Angeles, and elsewhere. Projects outside the tri-state area are considered case-by-case based on scope and travel logistics.