I am having a hard time visualizing the entire cage ( I'm still half asleep). Depending on the thickness of the acrylic it can hold up, but will get scratched, no real way around that, is floor space an issue, is that why you are trying to go vertical? If not why couldn't you build a bigger cage that incorporates climbing, then at one end you create a pool area, the heavy duty plastic pond liners that you get at your LHS seem to hold up pretty well over time.