Broken Support Bar

[Hoplesswfish]

I have a 125 gallon tank I believe it is a perfecto tank. The center support is broken. I tried emptying the tank and using marine epoxy to fix it. we clamped it together and let it set for a few days. It seemed to have fixed it but when I filled the tank back up it just separated again. I have 2 make shift metal supports screwed into the frame for now but I would like to attempt to remove the whole top frame and replace it. Does anyone know where to buy just the plastic frame for the top of a tank?

 

[thereverendturtle]

You'd have to check with the manufacture.

 

[Tolak]

You should be able to order a new top frame from a shop that sells Perfecto tanks. Sometimes getting the old top frame off is a bit of work, use a heat gun & a slim snap blade razor knife, soften & cut the old silicone.

 

[blur411]

I have a 55 gallon with the same issue, tried your same fix first. Then, I bought a piece of glass and siliconed it to the glass right under where the bar was...that fixed the problem!

 

[Cory1990]

If you can't find replacement top there is another way. "plastic welding" I've done this on motorcycle fairings and it will not brake again. Epoxy is weak on plastic and will not give you a strong hold. What you can do is find a scrap peice of plastic (has to be the same type of plastic) but if you have the same as what's on my 55 gallon any old plastic that you have laying around will work. Here's what you need.

1.soldering iron / nice soldering tip any will work.
2. Scrap plastic same type of plastic!
3. Heat gun

1. take your heat gun and heat the plastic you are repairing ( easy if you have someone help. they can hold the heat gun while you start melting the scrap with soldering iron)
2. Start to melt edge of broken plastic (your tank) and melt scrap into gap (cracked peice) fill crack completely do it from top then do it to bottom.
3. Use your heat gun once more to heat repaired part completely until the peice as a whole is flexible then, as it is hot put a cold rag onto it.

Hopefully someone can use this info and I've helped someone out. I've done this a number of times on my motorcycle (ex stunt rider broken plastic is almost weakly) before I broke my hip. This proses will also work well on other projects. The most imported part is making sure you have the same plastic you are melting into cracked plastic.