I was just wondering how hard it would be to design and build a small aquarium without the 10+ foot sharks but smaller things like coral reefs and planted freshwater tanks which are uncommon in public aquariums. A place where hobbyists could work and look at their passion and also I could sell fish etc. in an attached store. Has anyone had experience in a public aquarium or any advice for me (I'm still in the design phase) The whole reason I want to achieve this is to promote the hobby further and also to educate people on how awesome the aquarium hobby is. Plz give me advice I don't have much
Small public aquarium
- Thread starter brodysfish
- Start date
Anything this possible with the resources to do it. I know most of your online aquarium groups go on "field trips" to local fish stores and the likes for the reasons you touched upon.
You're not going to make money with what you describe, but it would be enjoyed by folks like us for sure.
You're not going to make money with what you describe, but it would be enjoyed by folks like us for sure.
I have experience in retail stores, public aquariums, and aquarium manufacturing.
Although an admirable idea, your plan does not provide enough of an entertainment experience to be profitable. Smaller (hobbyist size) reef tanks and planted tanks appeal to only a tiny fraction of the populace. It does not provide the experience that a large public aquarium offers which creates enough draw to aquarists and non-aquarists to drive ticket sales and be profitable.
Basically what you are doing is creating a lfs with a nice display area. Very few of these stores are successful long term.
Although an admirable idea, your plan does not provide enough of an entertainment experience to be profitable. Smaller (hobbyist size) reef tanks and planted tanks appeal to only a tiny fraction of the populace. It does not provide the experience that a large public aquarium offers which creates enough draw to aquarists and non-aquarists to drive ticket sales and be profitable.
Basically what you are doing is creating a lfs with a nice display area. Very few of these stores are successful long term.
The only places that do succeed at doing what you describe have extensive tank maintenance businesses. But still the business came first and the displays came afterwards. Your focus seems to be to spend money first and make it later and that is not economically workable. Most large aquariums have more than ticket sales funding the visible displays, they have grants and other public funding for research and environmental protection projects.
So you either compete with large aquariums for public research and environmental funding or you create a business maintaining lots of aquariums thus justifying example displays in your office to show potential clients the planted aquascape, fake decorative freshwater aquarium, brackish, FOWLR and reef tank examples.
It may be instructive for you to check out the business of Mike and Jeff Senske.
http://www.aquariumdesigngroup.com
So you either compete with large aquariums for public research and environmental funding or you create a business maintaining lots of aquariums thus justifying example displays in your office to show potential clients the planted aquascape, fake decorative freshwater aquarium, brackish, FOWLR and reef tank examples.
It may be instructive for you to check out the business of Mike and Jeff Senske.
http://www.aquariumdesigngroup.com
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I was going to sell tickets to get in at around $5 and the tanks were going to be of decent size with smaller tanks to large tanks
Once again the shop display tanks are the bait, you will lose money on making the bait attractive enough. The money you make will be from something other than shop display tank views. What service are you going to offer when they take the FREE bait of seeing your displays?