55 gallon tank repair

Question
I have a 55 gallon tank and the center brace across the top frame is broken causing the tank to bow slightly. I have not been able to locate any resource for a new tank top frame. If you know of any such resource or know of a fix that I can do myself I would really appreciate it. I don't trust the tank enough to keep water in it and I would hate to trash it.

Answer
Hey Rick,

Seems that the person you asked couldn't find an answer for you, but I think I have one.

Depending on how the top broke, you could buy a sheet of 18x12 plexiglass or lexan from home depot or lowe's hardware or whatever big home improvement stores are near you. The sheet then can be screwed to the broken segments of plastic, or glued in place with a heating element. Lexan is a bit more expensive, but is stronger then steel. It's commonly known as "bullet proof glass" because of it's increadible strength. Plexi, however slightly less strong, should hold up to the task as well. They both melt fairly easily, so if you have means to heat them to roughly 500*f, you can "weld" them to the remaining plastic.

If the center brace along the top of the tank was completely broken out, and there is no over hang left to screw or weld into, then consider getting sheets of plastic corner moulding. Cut the ends at 45* angles, and make a new fitting for the tank yourself. With the right strips, cut perfectly, you'll have a nice square even fit for the tank, with enough over hang to screw in a nice, sturdy cross brace of lexan or plexi, while keeping the project cheap enough to make it worth while.

Hope this little tid-bit helps out! If not, I just might want the tank! lol. Best wishes, and good luck!

P.S. if you still dont trust the tank, with a new cross brace, fill it up in your shower or bath. Fill it slowly, and leave it over night. If it cracks, breaks, or leaks, it'll leak into the tub, not your nice floors! I do this with all my tanks prior to set up for that very reason. Plus, it helps clean out dust, dirt, and other unwanted chemicals so it's less work to set up perminantly!