As a poster who used the phrase "serious aquarium" earlier, I would offer my belief that a "serious aquarium" should have purposes other than making money from public visitors - "public aquaria are often affiliated with oceanographic research institutions or conduct their own research programs, and sometimes specialize in species and ecosystems that can be found in local waters. For example, the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, BC is a major center for marine research, conservation, and marine animal rehabilitation, particularly for the rich ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest. (from wikipedia)"
We may be making an erroneous assumption that the Ripley aquarium will not have breeding programmes, research programmes, oceanographic expeditions, species collection, university affiliations, etc.
But I don't think so.