100g or 40g long?

[Fullmoonnight]

I'm currently working on obtaining a 100 gallon tank but I can't decide on what I want to do with it. At the current moment I have 22 goldfish crammed into a 40 gallon long ( 48 inches long x 12 inches tall x 12 inches wide?) Most of these fish will go out in the pond in the summer. So should I use the 100 gallon for a saltwater setup for my Mom or use it for my goldfish and do a 40 Saltwater setup? The 100g will be set up at my grandma's place because It's where I'll be most of my time in the next few months or years. After I come back to my own house though, chances are that I would have to downsize it to a 50 or something any ways ( This may not happen for years though). I would likely end up using the 100 gallon in the basement for myself and my goldfish or axolotls after I come back.

In anycase, what do you think I should use it as for the next few years?

 

[OscarFan76]

Have you done saltwater tanks before? The biggest factor to doing salt is probably going to be cost. You'll need 100-150 lbs of live rock for the 100g which is not cheap. Skimmers are moderately expensive. I would really run a sump which costs money for the overflow, return pump, and sump. The fish are generally more expensive. If you want to go reef then lighting is expensive as well.

I'm not trying to discourage you from a salt water setup. I love them and have a few myself. After going salt, I will probably never setup another fresh. Reef tanks are so much more interesting and rewarding.

So if the cost difference is worth it to you then I would highly recommend a saltwater setup.

 

[Fullmoonnight]

Have you done saltwater tanks before? The biggest factor to doing salt is probably going to be cost. You'll need 100-150 lbs of live rock for the 100g which is not cheap. Skimmers are moderately expensive. I would really run a sump which costs money for the overflow, return pump, and sump. The fish are generally more expensive. If you want to go reef then lighting is expensive as well.

I'm not trying to discourage you from a salt water setup. I love them and have a few myself. After going salt, I will probably never setup another fresh. Reef tanks are so much more interesting and rewarding.

So if the cost difference is worth it to you then I would highly recommend a saltwater setup.

Thanks I ran a very small nano a few months ago but after some family matters kept me too busy to clean the tank...my mom's little buddy in there went bye bye.Which is why I'm looking into bigger sizes that can live with me being a day or two late for a change. In terms of cost, I plan on getting most things second hand so I could cut the equipment cost down to about 50% or at most 75% of the original price. I think most of my money is going to end up being invested in live rock. The stand would be an old dresser sitting at my grandma's house. The money I would get from Chinese new years.( Happy new years to those that celebrate btw )

Personally, I always thought sw was beautiful but I wasn't really interested in maintaining it. Until, I went to the fish store and my Mom basically pointed to every sw fish in the store, wishing she could have it. I think that was a not so subtle hint about what she wanted lol XD