Aquatic Life Designs
About Us
AQUATIC LIFE DESIGNS began with one objective in mind: to CREATE and MAINTAIN stunning aquatic masterpieces that are as much about FUNCTION as they are DESIGN. The brainchild of life-long, professional aquatic enthusiasts, Aquatic Life Designs is unlike any other company in the Industry. With experience in the hobby, the pet industry and large public institutions; our level of QUALITY, EXPERTISE and CUSTOMER SERVICE is unsurpassed.
Steven Keuper
Founder
Project Manager
Steven Keuper was born and raised in La Crosse, WI and attended the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse for Biology. Steve took his first job at a pet store and SCUBA center in 1994 and then founded and ran a pond and aquarium services company from 1998 until relocating to Atlanta in 2007. Steve worked his way up to Lead Operator and eventually Manager of Life Support Systems at Georgia Aquarium. Steve has played primary roles in the design, commissioning and operations of many of the aquarium's exhibits and major expansions, as well as leading a team of technicians in the care and operations of a $250M LSS facility. Steve's specialties include system controls and automation, exhibit design, commissioning and project management. Steve has also been a part of the Georgia Aquarium's Dive Operations department, performing underwater exhibit and equipment maintenance. Steve left Georgia Aquarium in 2022 to focus his attention on Aquatic Life Designs.
Steve has been a presenting speaker for multiple aquarium industry and hobbyist conventions, such as AALSO (Aquatic Animal Life Support System Operators) IAAAM (International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine) and Reef-a-palooza. Steve has also led the design and set-up of a number of specialty aquarium stores in both Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as various facilities around the world, including on-site oversight of construction of a Red Sea research facility in Saudi Arabia and commissioning of the current world's largest aquarium in China.
Steve Hartter
Senior Biologist
Since 1994, Steve has been an aquarium hobbyist and has filled his fish room with everything from aquatic turtles to planted and reef aquariums. To help pay his way through college and support his aquarium addiction, he worked at two large family owned pet stores, and helped construct a new 23,000 square foot facility toward the end of his tenure. Steve earned a degree in Zoology with a concentration in Marine Biology from Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University. With a degree in hand, Steve entered the public aquarium field. As a Senior Aquarist at the Florida Aquarium he managed a variety of exhibits from a few gallons to 500,000 gallons. Currently, Steve is a Senior Aquarist at the Georgia Aquarium, where he is the primary aquarist of the fourth largest live reef exhibit in the world.