Commercial Aquarium Maintenance
Restaurants and hotels pay monthly to keep fish alive. Forever.
Bottom line
Strong cash-flow candidate with manageable operations.
Commercial aquarium maintenance companies design, install, and service saltwater and freshwater aquariums for restaurants, hotels, dental offices, lobbies, and high-end residences. Once installed, clients pay $200–$1,500/month per tank for cleaning, water testing, livestock replacement, and repairs — indefinitely. It's a recurring-revenue service route with virtually zero client churn once the tank becomes part of the décor.
How It Works
Operators land commercial contracts with restaurants, hotels, or medical offices, then install custom aquariums (often reselling the tank at markup). Monthly service agreements cover water changes, algae removal, filter maintenance, water chemistry testing, and fish replacement. A single technician can manage 20–30 accounts per week. Revenue per account: $250–$800/month. New installs generate $5K–$25K upfront plus the recurring tail.
BizBite verdict
Worth underwriting
Commercial Aquarium Maintenance has enough high-level data for a first look, but BizBite has not assigned a category-specific operating model yet. Treat the score as preliminary.
Why it may work
- +Attractive 42% estimated margin profile
- +SBA dataset shows 67 recent comparable loans
Be careful
- !Source link status has not been verified yet
- !No last-checked date yet
- !No category operating model yet
SBA 7(a) data
Real acquisitions in this category
Change-of-ownership loans · NAICS 561790 · Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings
Deal size distribution
Deal flow over time
Financing profile
Franchise vs independent
Franchised acquisitions finance at $350K median vs $471K for independents — a −26% franchise discount. Franchises make up 20% of deals tracked.
Recent comparable deals
| Closed | State | Loan | Implied deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | TX | $350K | $412K |
| Mar 2026 | NJ | $1.2M | $1.4M |
| Feb 2026 | LA | $402K | $473K |
| Feb 2026 | FL | $55K | $65K |
| Feb 2026 | FL | $615K | $723K |
| Feb 2026 | FL | $50K | $59K |
| Jan 2026 | TX | $270K | $318K |
| Jan 2026 | KS | $171K | $201K |
| Jan 2026 | FL | $650K | $765K |
| Jan 2026 | KS | $211K | $248K |
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA dataset, filtered to acquisitions (loans where business age is "Change of Ownership"). Implied deal size assumes an 85% loan-to-purchase ratio, a common SBA change-of-ownership structure. Charge-off rate shown only when 10+ loans have resolved (paid in full or charged off). Interest rates reflect last 24 months only. Actual deal values vary with equity injections, seller financing, and working capital terms.
Deal Calculator
Priced off $92K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?
SDE = revenue × margin estimate for this niche; it includes owner compensation, so budget your salary out of cash flow. Excludes working-capital injection, capex reserves, and taxes. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower.
Pros
- +Recurring monthly revenue — accounts rarely cancel once a tank is embedded in the space
- +Virtually no competition: few operators, low awareness, high skill barrier deters copycats
- +Owners often work 3–4 days/week once a route is established
- +High-end clients (restaurants, hotels, doctors) pay reliably and upgrade tanks over time
Cons
- -Livestock losses are client-facing and emotional — dead fish erode trust fast
- -Saltwater expertise takes 6–12 months to develop; mistakes are expensive
- -Geographic constraint: you can only service tanks within a few hours of your base
Best For
Aquarium hobbyists or biology-minded operators who want a recurring-revenue route business with no digital competition
Operating Costs
Primary costs: fish/livestock (10–15% of revenue), chemicals and supplies (8%), transportation, and part-time labor for growth. No storefront needed — pure route-based model.
Where to Buy
Occasional listings for established aquarium service routes with commercial accounts
Business structure and startup guidance for aquarium maintenance operators
Buyer's Toolkit
Essential tools to get started
Some links may be affiliate links. We only recommend tools we'd use ourselves.
Ready to Buy? Start Here →
Largest business-for-sale marketplace in the US
SBA loans and business acquisition financing — get funded fast
ROBS financing — use retirement funds to buy a business tax-free
Bookkeeping for small business owners — hands-off financials
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