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after having two freshwater tropical tanks (a 40 and a 10 gallon)at home, i'd love to start a marine tank at college but all i can afford as of now (or even fit in my little apartment) is a 20 or 30 gallon tank. what marine fish could i have in a tank that small? and would the tall or long tank be better?

Why dont you move your 40 gallon tank fish to a 20 gallon. Then use the 40 gallon for marine

when i moved to college, the 40 gallon would not fit in my little apartment
so it's been at my boyfriend's house since...atleast till i move somewhere bigger (not looking forward to moving it either) i dont think all the fish would fit in a 20 gallon either -- i have 2 dojo loaches, 2 pictus catfish, 2 angelfish, a flame dwarf gourami, a clown pleco, a kissing gourami and a rainbow shark (the last two i realized will get too big for the tank; the petstore said i can trade them)perhaps even without those two, i still have too many for a 40!? remember i've only had it for about half a year so i'm still pretty new to this, but i'm trying not to overstock too much! even in the 40 gallon, the angelfish seem to get a little territorial (only to eachother though) and the flame gourami is a little territorial sometimes too. it's only among the 3 though, and usually just a little chasing out of "their" area

i'd love to start a marine tank at college but all i can afford as of now (or even fit in my little apartment) is a 20 or 30 gallon tank. what marine fish could i have in a tank that small?

You might take a look at the smaller damselfish.. While they can be too aggressive to house in tanks with other fish, in a small tank by itself they can make an excellent choice (so long as you don't pick one that gets too large).. They come in bright, pretty colors and most have the distinction of being rather hardy.. However, be aware that they don't generally tolerate company in smaller aquaria and can be highly territorial..

would the tall or long tank be better?

Go for the long tank.. The surface area of a long tank is greater than that of a tall tank and that's only going to benefit you.. Smaller saltwater tanks can be a challenge for even an experienced marine aquarist so every little bit helps if this is going to be your first saltwater tank..

Good Luck to you..

The obvious option for smaller marine tanks are damselfish and smaller clownfish. Although some damsels can be really aggressive (the domino for instance), others can be quite peaceful (yellow-tailed blues, and smaller female blues). I have a friend who has succesfully kept a single false percula clownfish in a 7.5 gallon tank for over a year. Although a 40 or larger would be ideal for a percula, they can do quite well in a 20-30 if housed with one or two other small fish or kept as a mated pair.

You might also be able to keep a dwarf angelfish in a 30 gallon tank, but you'd have to really keep track of the water quality, as most are quite sensitive to minute changes.

I'd suggest leaving the marines until you can get a bigger tank. Sorry to be negative but if you are at college, can you guarantee the large amount of time required for the up-keep of a small tank? I'd suggest that you wait and save the 'disppointment' of not being successful with marines on your first attempt. Sorry to be negative but they are so rewarding that if you 'jump in' with a small tank and limited time to cater for its needs, you may be swayed not to try again.... the financial implications can do that to the best intended.