Crack in plastic

[Trop65]

I found on top of my tank, next to the lid, a crack in the plastic frame that holds up the glass top in front.
Any ideas on how to repair? It is not a part near the water line, so it's not affecting the tank seal, thank goodness. However it looks likely to spread.
This is part of a 20 year old 65 gallon freshwater.
Thank you!

 

[Essjay]

Is the piece running top to bottom in the first photo a bracer linking the front wall of the tank to the back wall, or is it just a support for the lid?

 

[Trop65]

Is the piece running top to bottom in the first photo a bracer linking the front wall of the tank to the back wall, or is it just a support for the lid?

Just a support for the lid, in front by where the door opens to feed,etc.

 

[Essjay]

That's a relief! Had it been a bracer that would have been trickier.

Is it possible to superglue the crack back together without gluing it to anything beneath as well? Or lift it off the tank for a few hours? Any cyanoacrylate glue is fish safe as long as it's not dripped into the tank (the gel form is easier to handle than liquid) though it will need to be held tightly in place until the glue cures.

 

[Trop65]

So I showed the pictures to an aquarium business, not a chain, and they said it looked like a crack from the front of the tank bowing out and I need to replace the tank.
They provide the service, I'm too old to do it myself.
Pricy fix after all.

 

[sharkweek178]

That's a relief! Had it been a bracer that would have been trickier.

Is it possible to superglue the crack back together without gluing it to anything beneath as well? Or lift it off the tank for a few hours? Any cyanoacrylate glue is fish safe as long as it's not dripped into the tank (the gel form is easier to handle than liquid) though it will need to be held tightly in place until the glue cures.

The nice thing about using cyanoacrylate superglue for aquarium work is that dampness makes it set faster. Damp, not completely wet.

 

[Essjay]

If the front is bowing out, it's not good with a tank that size. I had a 125 litre tank - about 33 gallons - which had a bracer bar which pulled away from the back wall and both front and rear panes bulged outwards. I replaced that as soon as I could, though it took a few weeks to get the new tank and until then I kept the water level lower than usual to reduce the strain on the glass and the seams.