Engineering Documentation
Wall Aquarium
Spec Sheet
Four models. Three depth options each. Every weight figure includes water, acrylic shell, substrate, and internal hardware — with a 3.5× safety factor applied to all design loads.
Tide
34" × 12"
Surge
46" × 12"
Abyss
58" × 14"
Kraken
70" × 16"
Weight & Mounting Table
All sizes × all three depth options. Stud spacing assumes 16" o.c. residential framing — verify on-site before installation.
| Model | Dimensions (L×H) | Depth | Volume | System Weight | Studs | Design Load (3.5×) | Screws / Bracket | Load / Screw | Acrylic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tide | 34" × 12" | 4" | ~7.1 gal | ~87 lb | 3 | 305 lb | 4 | ~26 lb | ¼" |
| 34" × 12" | 4.5" | ~7.9 gal | ~95 lb | 3 | 333 lb | 4 | ~28 lb | ¼" | |
| 34" × 12" | 5" | ~8.8 gal | ~106 lb | 3 | 371 lb | 4 | ~31 lb | ¼" | |
| Surge | 46" × 12" | 4" | ~9.6 gal | ~115 lb | 3 | 403 lb | 4 | ~34 lb | ¼" |
| 46" × 12" | 4.5" | ~10.8 gal | ~126 lb | 3 | 441 lb | 4 | ~37 lb | ¼" | |
| 46" × 12" | 5" | ~11.9 gal | ~140 lb | 3 | 490 lb | 4 | ~41 lb | ¼" | |
| Abyss | 58" × 14" | 4" | ~14.1 gal | ~178 lb | 4 | 623 lb | 4 | ~39 lb | ⅜" |
| 58" × 14" | 4.5" | ~15.8 gal | ~194 lb | 4 | 679 lb | 4 | ~43 lb | ⅜" | |
| 58" × 14" | 5" | ~17.6 gal | ~216 lb | 4 | 756 lb | 4 | ~47 lb | ⅜" | |
| Kraken | 70" × 16" | 4" | ~19.4 gal | ~243 lb | 5 | 851 lb | 4 | ~43 lb | ½" |
| 70" × 16" | 4.5" | ~21.8 gal | ~265 lb | 5 | 928 lb | 4 | ~47 lb | ½" | |
| 70" × 16" | 5" | ~24.2 gal | ~294 lb | 5 | 1,030 lb | 4 | ~52 lb | ½" |
Tide — 34" × 12"
Volume by depth
System weight
~87 lb / ~95 lb / ~106 lb
Design load (3.5×)
305 lb / 333 lb / 371 lb
Studs required
3
Screws / bracket
4
Acrylic
¼"
Mount method
Discrete brackets (1 per stud)
Surge — 46" × 12"
Volume by depth
System weight
~115 lb / ~126 lb / ~140 lb
Design load (3.5×)
403 lb / 441 lb / 490 lb
Studs required
3
Screws / bracket
4
Acrylic
¼"
Mount method
Discrete brackets (1 per stud)
Abyss — 58" × 14"
Volume by depth
System weight
~178 lb / ~194 lb / ~216 lb
Design load (3.5×)
623 lb / 679 lb / 756 lb
Studs required
4
Screws / bracket
4
Acrylic
⅜"
Mount method
Continuous cleat/rail (preferred)
Kraken — 70" × 16"
Volume by depth
System weight
~243 lb / ~265 lb / ~294 lb
Design load (3.5×)
851 lb / 928 lb / 1,030 lb
Studs required
5
Screws / bracket
4
Acrylic
½"
Mount method
Continuous cleat/rail (preferred)
Why Shallow Depth Is a Feature, Not a Compromise
The shallow profile is the whole idea — not a limitation you work around.
👁
Looks bigger than it is
A 4–5" depth mounted flush to the wall reads as a full aquarium from across the room. The shallow profile eliminates the visual "box" — what you see is pure water, life, and light. Guests consistently guess the tank is far larger than it actually is.
🔧
Maintenance takes minutes, not hours
Everything is within arm's reach from the front. No reaching into a deep tank, no awkward angles, no specialized tools. A water change, substrate clean, or coral reposition is a quick task you can do on a weeknight — not a weekend project.
♻️
Start over without starting from scratch
Made a mistake? Changed your mind on the aquascape? The shallow volume means you can drain, reset, and restock in an afternoon — entirely on your own. No service call, no waiting, no stress. It's the most forgiving tank format ever built.
Which depth is right for you?
4" — First tank ever. Absolute beginner. You want something beautiful with zero intimidation. 4.5" — You've kept a tank before, or you want a little more swimming room for your fish. 5" — You know what you're doing and want the maximum volume this wall format can hold.
What Can You Keep?
Stocking estimates based on conservative nano-reef guidelines (1" of fish per 5 gal), adjusted for shallow wall-profile tanks with efficient internal filtration. Saltwater species listed — freshwater stocking is generally more forgiving at the same volumes.
Fish counts assume healthy bioload management, live rock, and a quality skimmer or refugium. Corals and inverts do not count toward fish load.
| Model | Depth / Volume | Max Fish | Recommended Species | Corals & Inverts | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tide 34" × 12" | 4″ · 7.1 gal | 1–2 | Clownfish pair (Ocellaris/Percula), Neon Goby, Tailspot Blenny | Zoanthids, mushroom corals, small Hammer or Torch frag | Beginner |
| 4.5″ · 7.9 gal | 2–3 | Clownfish pair + 1 Firefish Goby, Orchid Dottyback, or Yasha Goby | Zoanthids, Ricordea, Acropora frag, small LPS colony | Beginner | |
| 5″ · 8.8 gal | 2–3 | Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma or Tailspot Blenny; Neon Goby | Zoanthids, Ricordea, small Acropora or Montipora frag, Hammer coral | Intermediate | |
| Surge 46" × 12" | 4″ · 9.6 gal | 2–3 | Clownfish pair + Firefish Goby, Tailspot Blenny, Neon Goby | Zoanthids, mushrooms, small LPS (Hammer, Frogspawn), Montipora cap | Beginner |
| 4.5″ · 10.8 gal | 3–4 | Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Firefish; Yasha Goby + Pistol Shrimp pair | Mixed LPS/SPS: Hammer, Torch, Acropora frag, Montipora, Chalice | Intermediate | |
| 5″ · 11.9 gal | 3–4 | Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Orchid Dottyback; Neon Goby | Mixed reef: LPS + SPS frags, Zoanthid garden, Ricordea, Chalice | Intermediate | |
| Abyss 58" × 14" | 4″ · 14.1 gal | 3–4 | Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Firefish; Tailspot Blenny, Neon Goby | Full mixed reef: Zoanthids, LPS wall, Montipora cap, small SPS colony | Intermediate |
| 4.5″ · 15.8 gal | 4–5 | Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Orchid Dottyback + Firefish; Yasha Goby | Established mixed reef: LPS + SPS, Acropora colony, Chalice, Torch wall | Intermediate | |
| 5″ · 17.6 gal | 4–5 | Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Dottyback + Firefish; Neon Goby pair | Full SPS-dominant reef possible; Acropora, Montipora, Stylophora, LPS accents | Advanced | |
| Kraken 70" × 16" | 4″ · 19.4 gal | 4–5 | Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Firefish + Orchid Dottyback; Tailspot Blenny | Panoramic mixed reef: full LPS wall, Zoanthid garden, Montipora shelf, SPS frags | Intermediate |
| 4.5″ · 21.8 gal | 5–6 | Above + Yasha Goby/Pistol Shrimp pair; Neon Goby pair; 1 small Flasher or Fairy Wrasse | Full panoramic reef: SPS colonies, LPS wall, Chalice garden, Torch/Hammer accents | Advanced | |
| 5″ · 24.2 gal | 5–7 | Full community: Clownfish pair, Royal Gramma, Firefish, Flasher Wrasse, Neon Goby pair, Tailspot Blenny | Showpiece SPS-dominant panoramic reef; Acropora colonies, Montipora shelves, full LPS foreground | Advanced |
Tide
34" × 12"
Species: Clownfish pair (Ocellaris/Percula), Neon Goby, Tailspot Blenny
Corals/Inverts: Zoanthids, mushroom corals, small Hammer or Torch frag
Species: Clownfish pair + 1 Firefish Goby, Orchid Dottyback, or Yasha Goby
Corals/Inverts: Zoanthids, Ricordea, Acropora frag, small LPS colony
Species: Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma or Tailspot Blenny; Neon Goby
Corals/Inverts: Zoanthids, Ricordea, small Acropora or Montipora frag, Hammer coral
Surge
46" × 12"
Species: Clownfish pair + Firefish Goby, Tailspot Blenny, Neon Goby
Corals/Inverts: Zoanthids, mushrooms, small LPS (Hammer, Frogspawn), Montipora cap
Species: Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Firefish; Yasha Goby + Pistol Shrimp pair
Corals/Inverts: Mixed LPS/SPS: Hammer, Torch, Acropora frag, Montipora, Chalice
Species: Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Orchid Dottyback; Neon Goby
Corals/Inverts: Mixed reef: LPS + SPS frags, Zoanthid garden, Ricordea, Chalice
Abyss
58" × 14"
Species: Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Firefish; Tailspot Blenny, Neon Goby
Corals/Inverts: Full mixed reef: Zoanthids, LPS wall, Montipora cap, small SPS colony
Species: Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Orchid Dottyback + Firefish; Yasha Goby
Corals/Inverts: Established mixed reef: LPS + SPS, Acropora colony, Chalice, Torch wall
Species: Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Dottyback + Firefish; Neon Goby pair
Corals/Inverts: Full SPS-dominant reef possible; Acropora, Montipora, Stylophora, LPS accents
Kraken
70" × 16"
Species: Clownfish pair + Royal Gramma + Firefish + Orchid Dottyback; Tailspot Blenny
Corals/Inverts: Panoramic mixed reef: full LPS wall, Zoanthid garden, Montipora shelf, SPS frags
Species: Above + Yasha Goby/Pistol Shrimp pair; Neon Goby pair; 1 small Flasher or Fairy Wrasse
Corals/Inverts: Full panoramic reef: SPS colonies, LPS wall, Chalice garden, Torch/Hammer accents
Species: Full community: Clownfish pair, Royal Gramma, Firefish, Flasher Wrasse, Neon Goby pair, Tailspot Blenny
Corals/Inverts: Showpiece SPS-dominant panoramic reef; Acropora colonies, Montipora shelves, full LPS foreground
Difficulty key
Bracket & Mounting Engineering
Every bracket is engineered for water-bearing wall loads — not adapted from general shelving hardware.
3.5× Safety Factor
All design loads apply a 3.5× safety factor over total system weight — well above the ~2× typical of general shelving. Water-bearing wall structures demand higher margins.
Modified L-Bracket
Upper leg fastens to the stud and bears the primary load. A lower extension leg adds a 4th screw point, increasing the moment arm and distributing rotational force across a taller fastener spread.
8–13× Shear Margin
Even the heaviest Kraken config loads each screw to a fraction of its rated capacity. Shear — the actual load direction on a wall bracket — carries an 8–13× margin in the worst case.
French Cleat Snap-On
Interlocking beveled rail: wall side fixed to studs, frame side on the tank back. Self-centering under gravity, self-locking against pull-off, and doubles as a wire-routing channel.
Recommended Mounting Method by Size
Tide & Surge (34"–46", 3 studs)
Discrete brackets acceptable — one per stud, 4 screws each.
Abyss & Kraken (58"–70", 4–5 studs)
Continuous horizontal cleat/rail preferred — spreads load evenly and simplifies the snap-on frame interface.
Acrylic Thickness by Model
Scaled to hydrostatic pressure at each tank's height. Final thickness confirmed against structural requirements per unit.
Tide / Surge (small)
Optimized for shallow 12" height
Abyss (mid)
Scaled for 14" height hydrostatic load
Kraken (large)
Maximum rigidity for 16" height
Notes & Caveats
- —The shallow volume is intentional — a full drain, substrate swap, and restock can be done solo in an afternoon. No service call required if you want to start fresh or recover from a tank crash.
- —Stud span assumes standard 16" on-center residential framing. Confirm actual spacing with a stud finder before finalizing bracket layout — older or commercial framing may run 24" o.c.
- —Fastener capacity figures are general engineering guidelines, not a substitute for a structural engineer's sign-off on specific wall construction, stud species/grade, and hardware selected.
- —A secondary safety strap or cable tether is mandatory on every size — same principle as anti-tip hardware on wall-mounted TVs. A backstop if the primary mount ever loosens over time.
- —Acrylic thickness figures are design targets. Final structural requirement confirmed against hydrostatic pressure at each tank's height before production.
Ready to choose your model?
Every tank ships complete with filtration, heater, and substrate. Our installers handle the rest.