Alright, so I am conceptualizing my adult enclosure for my Mangrove Monitor and I'm trying to consider how to make the base section, the aquatic part...

First the setup idea...

You know the stackable Vivariums? Where they have 3 or 4 enclosures with sliding glass fronts... well, this is a similar idea, but with access between each level. The base level will be 6'x3' with an aquarium occupying the whole space, probably between 8 and 12" deep. The second level will house dirt, probably about 6 to 8" deep, depending on how large the adult mangrove will be, as well as a lot of rock, and maybe with large terra cotta pots under the soil to act as hides/burrows, which should slightly reduce the weight. The top layer won't have a bottom, only a number of climbing areas, as well as the heat sources.

Now my biggest issues include holding the weight of the soil up, but more over... how do I build the aquarium?

Housing between 90 and 140 gallons it will probably be a plywood aquarium, which will have interior layers that are decent for handling claws. But, how to I make viewing areas? How well would acrylic hold up to razor sharp claws scratching against it, especially with water on the other side? How well could acrylic hold up to a shallow, yet still volumous amount of water?