46 Gallon or 10 gallon nano?

[zaekor]

Hello,
I currently have a 20 gallon long reef, but I dont like the huge rims on my 20 gallon long. I also have a 46 gallon freshwater that I like, but it only is about 40% stocked. I could swap the 20 gallon long saltwater and the 46 gallon freshwater to make it a 20 gallon long freshwater and a 46 gallon saltwater if I got rid of some fish in the freshwater tank. I would then plumb it and get a couple other things for it, since the 20 gallon long isnt plumbed, plus I need to buy a lot more rock and new sand and a bigger powerhead, etc etc. I dont need a new heater, I have a 300w eheim.

Or..

I could just keep the freshwater where it is and downgrade to a Nuvo 10-gallon reef. Since I am going to college in about 3 years, I would love to be able to take a tank with me. If I did the option above, it would be freshwater, which would be more preferable since it is easier. But if I did this option, then I could do saltwater. This tank would be nice because...
It is smaller, so it won't take up as much space in my room.
Less space, less money I have to spend on coral.
Cheaper lighting
Cheaper Sand and Rock (I need less)
Cheaper everything haha
Rimless and an AIO

Which would you guys like to see more? I would love to have a huge reef tank but I feel like it would be an endless money pit, so much coral and fish I would have to buy, along with new pumps, sumps and all those things. Maintenece wouldnt be an issue for me since I am pretty good with it on my FW and SW.
Thanks for any help you can provide!

Keep in mind I have about $700-900 dollars for this project.

 

[zaekor]

Anyone?

 

[clownfish chris]

I would swap the tanks. More flexibility and stability.

 

[zaekor]

Thanks for the reply! Thats what I would love to do. It might be a little bit of work, but it wouldnt cost me anything to switch the freshwater to the 20 long, but it would cost me a lot to put the salt into the 46 gal. I have always wanted a saltwater tank over 20 gallons, but just have never had the money to do it.
Any reccomendations for what I should do exactly with my budget?
It is 700-900, and im willing to go to $1000 if I need to.

 

[clownfish chris]

Craigslist is your friend. You can buy whole setups for that price. What area do you live in?

 

[zaekor]

Since I still live with my parents and I am only 15, I can't quite drive yet by myself. My parents never really feel comfortable buying on craigslist, even if we meet in a public area, which wouldn't be possible with a big aquarium.
I live in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was originally going to buy a 55-gallon setup on craigslist but I couldn't find anything the thing above happened.
I will look into it though. Keep in mind this tank is on a second floor so I really don't want to go over 75 gallons, and I don't really have space for one either.

 

[clownfish chris]

First I want to say that for 15 you write very well and really think things through. That concern about Craigslist is very real. The good news is it's very rare. That being said, check with your lfs and see if they know of anyone getting rid of an old set up.

 

[zaekor]

My LFS has a bunch of used tanks but most of them are 100+ gallons. Next time I head in there to buy some water or coral I will check them out. I will also take a look on Craigslist but like I said, I doubt it will happen since my parents don't feel comfortable with it. I could buy equipment on Craigslist but not a tank unless we meet in a public area.

 

[clownfish chris]

Police department parking lots are great places to meet up. Go with an adult.

 

[zaekor]

Yea, we usually would meet up in a crowded parking lot, usually a Best Buy. Turned out fine every time but they are still always nervous. I could convince them, I was originally only going to get a 30 gallon but I convinced them to let me get a 46.
What would you recommend me look for? Sizes, gear to not buy used etc etc

 

[clownfish chris]

Well that depends on quite a bit really. What kind of livestock do you want? Corals? Does it have a sump?

One thing to keep in mind, you will get lots of water on the floor.

 

[zaekor]

I want a dwarf flame angel, thats my only want. I want mostly LPS coral but also some soft corals, mostly no SPS but maybe a couple.
Also, Why would I get a lot of water on the floor?

 

[clownfish chris]

Because you have 46 gallons of salt water on the second floor. You will be doing water changes. You will be dealing with pumps. It will happen. I once came into the house to see it raining in my parents living room. The tank on the second floor overflowed when the ATO got stuck in the on position and shorted out the power strip shutting down the pump thereby overflowing the sump. It was about 12 gallons on the floor.

I live in a one story house on a concrete slab now and the tank is on a tile floor. Just last week, I had a leaky bulkhead dump some water on the floor. I have flooded my wife's laundry room when I forgot my RODI was filling up a bucket before I left for work. About 6 hours later, I realized what I had done.

Granted, I am more of a bone head than most but it happens to all of us!