Question about repairing a tank frame

Scott_AR

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The inside rim of my tank's top frame has long been damaged--it's not the part holding the sides together, but the little ledge that extends out into the tank. Hadn't been a big deal, but for various reasons I want to change to a lid that would sit on that inside rim.

I've tried to look for a replacement frame to no avail, so I was thinking I could trim out that damaged section and attach a wide L-shaped plastic trim strip in its place, gluing the wider part of the L to the glass just below the frame (pointing down) with the shorter part replacing the ledge. I don't need to replace the whole ledge, just about 4-5" on one side, and 8-10" on another the adjacent side.

I've been having trouble finding some of the recommended silicones around here--e.g., the Momentive RTV100 series, which has gotten crazy expensive online. Would this be what I need, anyway? Is there a more suitable product, considering the unusual use?
 
Couldn’t you use an aquarium safe silicone epoxy like the kind folks use to seal tanks and stuff?
 
There are several online sources for replacement frames (one such is aquariumframewholesale.com). You could also consider having an aluminum or stainless steel frame fabricated.
 
Sounds like a job for jb weld epoxy!

silicone gets a horrible bond with epoxy and I find that CA glue loses its bond over time
 

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