Acuario Michin has developed a distinctive mix of aquarium exhibits, conservation messaging and family attractions across its locations in Mexico.
Since opening its first site in Guadalajara in 2017, the company has grown steadily, culminating in the opening of its flagship 30,000-square-metre facility at the Parque Tepeyac shopping mall in Mexico City in 2023.
Creating a 30,000-square-metre aquarium across three levels of one of Mexico City's busiest shopping centres required far more than conventional aquarium engineering.
High altitude, restricted back-of-house space and the demands of maintaining multiple aquatic ecosystems combined to create one of the most technically challenging projects in the company's history.
To meet these challenges, Acuario Michin partnered with MAT Filtration Technologies, an international aquarium engineering company specialising in life support systems (LSS).
Rather than supplying individual components, MAT engineered the integrated systems that underpin water quality, circulation and long-term habitat performance throughout the facility.
Rodrigo Alvarez, director of Acuario Michin, and Nurettin Ersu, a general manager at MAT
In conversation with Rodrigo Alvarez, director of Acuario Michin, and Nurettin Ersu, a general manager at MAT, we discuss the engineering, sustainability and operational considerations behind the partnership.
Acuario Michin’s ethos
To understand the success of the partnership, it helps to appreciate the underlying philosophy guiding the operator.
Acuario Michin positions itself as a conservation-driven attraction; it is deliberately connected to environmental responsibility and the promotion of biodiversity, inspired by the worldview of Mexico's indigenous cultures.
“Acuario Michin is a Mexican conservation-driven aquarium concept focused on education, biodiversity protection, and immersive experiences,” says Alvarez.
“Our mission is to inspire environmental awareness through high-quality exhibits that combine innovation, animal welfare, and learning, while actively promoting conservation values across all our locations.”
The aim is to make learning fun, as Ersu explains: “The Michin team introduced us to a great concept combining the ‘fun factor’ with an aquarium experience never seen in Mexico before.
"The concept is created to spend an entire day on the premises as a family, where all members will find something to entertain themselves.”
He adds that the inclusion of diverse activities, such as “shooting, baseball, climbing, interactions with animals like penguins, and many more ensures a full day with lots of fun.”
However, balancing entertainment elements such as trampoline parks, laser tag, and ropes courses with the sensitive requirements of complex marine ecosystems is an immense logistical and technical challenge which requires a strong technological foundation.
Choosing the right engineering partner
When dealing with thousands of living organisms throughout diverse ecosystems, from the open sea and mangroves to rivers and reefs, maintaining consistent water quality is crucial.
Therefore, finding the right engineering partner was a critical early step for the Michin team.
“From the early planning stages of our projects, it became clear that filtration would be one of the most critical components of our aquariums,” says Alvarez.
“We chose MAT Filtration because of their deep technical expertise, proven reliability, and ability to design solutions specifically tailored to our needs.”
Aquarium filtration systems at Michin's aquarium in Guadalajara, one of three Michin sites that the firm engineered solutions for
Image courtesy of MAT Filtration
MAT Filtration Technologies is an internationally recognised aquarium engineering company that designs and delivers life support systems for complex aquatic facilities worldwide.
It brought to the table its considerable experience in delivering turnkey LSS solutions, along with its own specialised R&D facilities for testing equipment within high-density salt environments.
For the Michin projects, MAT's scope of work was comprehensive, encompassing the supply, transport and supervision/installation of life support systems. Alvarez emphasises the depth of the collaboration:
“Today, MAT is not just a supplier but a strategic partner—without their systems and technical support, our aquarium projects would simply not be possible.”
Ersu adds: “The Michin projects gave us something rare in this industry, a long journey of continuous improvement across new facilities. Each project built on the last, and as Rodrigo said, 'every time it gets better.'”
Over the course of multiple projects, MAT's role expanded from engineering consultant to long-term technical partner responsible for designing the life support systems that underpin each facility.
Custom solutions for a complex urban site
The latest attraction to be built through this partnership, the Acuario Michin CDMX at Parque Tepeyac, represents one of the company's most technically complex projects: creating an aquarium in a landlocked, high-altitude metropolis, within a busy commercial shopping mall.
“Operating large-scale, diverse water ecosystems requires absolute precision in water quality management,” Alvarez says.
“MAT provided customised solutions, continuous technical guidance, and hands-on support that allowed us to overcome these challenges efficiently.”
Ersu elaborates on the specifics of the engineering involved: “The project in Mexico City at Parque Tepeyac is the largest and most advanced facility within the Acuario Michin family.
“Spanning an impressive 30,000 square meters across three levels and located high above sea level in the heart of a landlocked metropolis, the facility required an exceptionally sophisticated filtration and water management design.”
A principal challenge in this urban mall environment was the severe spatial limitations for the back-of-house technical areas. Aquariums typically require a large amount of space for sumps, pumps, skimmers, and biological filters.
To integrate this into the mall's footprint without compromising guest space, MAT had to innovate.
“A key objective of the project was to deliver a system with low operational expenditure (OPEX) while accommodating the significant space constraints available for life-support equipment,” says Ersu.
Rather than relying on standard off-the-shelf equipment, MAT engineered a bespoke solution that includes protein skimmers and a compact Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) system, which uses beneficial bacteria attached to floating media to remove waste products from the water, specifically for the site's unusually restricted plant rooms.
The custom approach enabled the life support infrastructure to fit within the mall's limited technical spaces without compromising treatment capacity or operational efficiency.
Alvarez praises the outcome of this customised approach: “Their technical team has been invaluable, offering expertise and responsiveness that ensure our systems operate at the highest standard at all times.”
LSS innovation
Beyond filtration, the aquatic life support systems must ensure proper water circulation to imitate natural ocean currents, distribute oxygen, and prevent stagnation.
Traditionally, this requires a vast network of heavy-duty, high-energy water circulation pumps. However, in keeping with Acuario Michin's goals of lowering OPEX and enhancing sustainability, MAT engineered a highly creative alternative for the CDMX facility.
“Another important aspect considered during the design phase was maintaining effective water movement and circulation throughout the water columns of the aquarium exhibits,” says Ersu.
With several different habitats to maintain, including coral reefs, the LSS solutions are an essential part of Acuario Michin's success
Image courtesy of MAT Filtration
To address this, instead of depending solely on energy-intensive circulation pumps, MAT engineered an airlift system that uses air to drive water movement throughout much of the aquarium.
The approach reduces energy consumption while maintaining circulation, oxygen transfer and water quality, a solution developed specifically to meet the project's operational and sustainability goals.
The direct result of this technology is a reduction in the facility's carbon footprint and energy overhead, in line with the modern zoo and aquarium sector's pivot toward eco-friendly operations.
Supporting conservation and animal welfare at Acuario Michin
In today's attractions landscape, guests are becoming more eco-conscious and demand that facilities prioritise the welfare of the animals in their care. For Acuario Michin, it is the foundation of their operational philosophy:
“Sustainability was essential in our decision-making process,” says Alvarez.
“MAT’s filtration technologies are designed to optimise energy use, reduce water consumption, and ensure long-term system efficiency. This alignment with our environmental responsibility goals made MAT the clear and natural choice for our projects.”
MAT Filtration says its systems are designed around eco-design principles and for conducting life-cycle cost analyses to minimise environmental impact and maintain long-term performance.
The systems utilise durable, corrosion-resistant components that lower operating costs while reducing the environmental impact associated with manufacturing and disposal.
Features like aquarium tunnels help guests at Acuario Michin's sites get up close with underwater habitats
Image courtesy of MAT Filtration
Ersu links this technological competence directly to the biological success of the habitats:
“The technology has a direct impact on an aquarium. It can be seen in energy and space savings, reduced opex, and in ensuring that the habitat is as good as nature, supporting animal welfare, which is a priority in our aquarium and filtration design.”
This commitment to animal welfare is especially vital given Acuario Michin’s unique role in the region. The operator frequently works with local governments and environmental authorities to serve as an official refuge for confiscated and rescued animals.
“What really sets these apart is the dual mission: world-class aquariums that also serve as official refuges for confiscated animals,” says Ersu.
Whether caring for an endangered Mexican axolotl, rehabilitating a rescued sea turtle, or providing sanctuary for illegally trafficked macaws, the facility relies on MAT's robust quarantine systems and water management to give these animals a second chance at life.
“Visitors can expect immersive, high-quality experiences designed around well-maintained aquatic systems and engaging educational content,” Alvarez explains.
“Behind every exhibit is robust technical infrastructure that guarantees water quality, animal health, and safety: an area where MAT’s engineering plays a fundamental role in delivering a consistently excellent visitor experience.”
See also: Sustainability & innovation: 10 years of MAT Filtration Technologies
A reliable partner to make ambitious projects possible
In the world of public aquariums, success is measured not solely on opening day, but over years and decades of operation. A failure in the LSS can produce catastrophic animal loss and permanent damage to a brand's reputation.
Because of this, MAT approaches every project as an iterative learning experience. The aim is to minimise losses by maintaining stable water quality. Ersu says:
“MAT improves the design and features of its equipment from every concluded project, considering the pros and cons during delivery, installation and operations of our systems.
“This ensures that all bottlenecks of a previous project are eliminated.”
For the operator, the proof of this continuous improvement is seen in the daily performance of the attractions.
“The most significant outcomes have been system reliability, operational confidence, and consistency across all our locations,” says Alvarez.
MAT's LSS and filtration systems are carefully controlled at each of the three Michin aquariums
Image courtesy of MAT Filtration
“Thanks to MAT, we maintain excellent water quality standards that directly support animal welfare and exhibit performance. Their ongoing technical support gives us the confidence to operate and expand without compromising quality.”
According to Ersu, gauging the success of a facility like Acuario Michin lies in guest behaviour and biological stability over time: “It is measured with the visitor numbers of the exhibit and the re-visit ratio…the water quality is good and can be maintained over the years.”
As Alvarez notes, the growth of the Acuario Michin brand is deeply tied to this dependability. “Our growth has been driven by a clear mission, strong operational execution, and—very importantly—the support of trusted strategic partners.
“Having reliable technical partners like MAT Filtration has allowed us to develop complex aquarium projects with confidence, ensuring operational stability, animal welfare, and scalability from the very beginning.”
Looking ahead
The success of Acuario Michin in Guadalajara, Puebla, and Mexico City has consequently led to questions about future expansion. Yet MAT cautions against viewing any single project as a simple template that can be mass-produced:
“It is not correct to create a copy-paste model and think it is possible to make it a model for other facilities. Every project has its own dynamics, which are influenced by dozens of parameters.
"Likewise, our equipment is strictly designed and manufactured to meet the client’s requirements for that specific project.”
This bespoke approach to engineering makes sure that wherever Acuario Michin chooses to go next, the technical solutions will be adapted to the exact environmental, spatial, and biological needs of that specific site.
For Rodrigo Alvarez and his team, the road ahead is clear: “As we continue to grow, MAT Filtration will remain a core partner in all future projects.
“Every new Acuario Michin development is planned with MAT’s LSS engineering and technical expertise as a foundation. Their involvement allows us to expand responsibly, innovate with confidence, and maintain the high standards that define our brand.”
As Acuario Michin continues to expand, its partnership with MAT reflects the increasingly strategic role of specialist engineering in modern aquarium development.
Beyond designing life support systems, MAT has helped solve complex architectural, operational and sustainability challenges across multiple sites, creating engineering solutions tailored to each project rather than applying a standard template.
Together, the two organisations demonstrate how long-term collaboration between operator and engineering partner can support ambitious growth while maintaining high standards of animal welfare, operational efficiency and visitor experience.
