The tank is 34" x 27" x 96" and I'm framing the wall to make a picture frame tank view. The front glass is 27"x96", but the eurobrace is 0.5" (leaving 26.5") and the water level is 2.5" below that (leaving 24" of water).
I have three decisions I'd like some feedback ok:
1. How high up should the tank be? Currently at 39.5" from the floor inside the house.
2. How large should the cutout be? I currently leave 1" all around and the tank is 0.75" glass. This leaves a cutout that is 25" x 94". This leaves about 2" of air visible on top of the water... I've never had an in-wall tank and can't visualize if the air top is good or bad. I know this is a matter of taste, but still open to opinions.
3. Foam compression? The opening is framed with 2x4" studs all around and 0.5" plywood on the bottom. I'm adding 3/4" foam between the plywood at the tank bottom AND assuming that this will be squeezed down to 1/2" when loaded. This is part of the framing dimensions. The problem is that, unloaded, the glass tank will be 1/4" bigger than the frame with the foam... I can open the top by 1/4" to allow for the variance. How much will the 3/4" foam shrink with 380gal of water and a 600lb glass tank on top?
