Hi Everyone. I have two Tiger Oscar's that I am wanting to transfer from a 30Gallon Tank to a 55 Gallon Tank. I received a free tank from a friend, but it is over 20 years old and the sealant looks like it needs to be replaced. I am just worried about leaking due to the age of the tank and resealing it. If anyone could give some advice, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you.

welcome to Oscarfish lover. Firstly, 55 gallons is not big enough for two Oscars. Obviously if that is the only tank you've got at the moment, you will have to make do, but I would strongly advise getting a bigger tank in due course.

Regarding the tank, 20 years is very very old for a tank and I would certainly be a little bit reluctant to use it for too long. Tanks Do have a shelflife and they will perish after a while. the only thing I would suggest is resealing it. However, if you're not confident to do it yourself, find someone who knows how to do it, the last thing you want is half a ton of water all over your carpet plus a few dead fish.

The other problem is some tanks don't start leaking until they are completely full, the pressure doesn't build up until there is enough water. So you may have a very small leak that you won't notice until you have completely set the tank up.

I had a tank leak once. It was only a 2ft x 1 x1 so i dont know if this would apply to a 55g. What i did was completely dried it out. Cleaned it thoroughly and then re cleaned it with white spirit (you can use meth or paint thinner). I then just re applied a layer of fish sealant over all the joints. I no longer have the tank but i know the person who does and it is still running fine after 2 years

resealing a tank is actually quite easy. simply remove the old silicone and repalce it. it is exactly the same a caulking a window or a bath tub. i would remove the old silicone and replace it using ge silicone 1 which is safe for awuarium use.

when completed fill the tank and let it sit for a few days to be sure there are no leaks.

also as was previous said a 55 is to small for 2 oscars. i would look for something in the 100 gallon range to home them in.