24" or 30"?

I am in the market for new tank lights. I have a 30g. I know this may be a dumb question but I'm just not sure. I don't know if a 24" light ill fit a 30" long tank........


Horizontal measure is 30"
Vertical measure is 17.5"
Front to back measure is 12"

I'm in the market for something like these and don't want to "waste" light with a 36".

24" T5 Standard Output 4 Bulbs-56 Watts

24" Aquarium Metal Halide PC Light HQI 380W Reef SPS - eBay (item 290390753622 end time Jan-22-10 08:04:16 PST)

30" Aquarium Power Compact Light 130W Coral Lunar CE - eBay (item 150404835291 end time Jan-22-10 08:29:59 PST)

Maybeeee somethng like this....maybe
30" 2x 65watt Aqualite Double Linear by Coralife




Ideally I would like a pendant style light but my ceiling is WAY too high for that so I have to go with something tank mounted for now. I really appreciate any help you guys can give me.

 

I would suggest none of those. Buy a brand that you can trust. It is worth the extra money. You never know what typw of bulbs they will inclue, what ballast they used, and how well it was made. You could end up spending more in the long run. The 4 bulb T5 is also useless at 56watts

Look into the Current Sundial T5HO 4 bulbs and the current orbit 130watt. I have yet to have a problem with my orbit.

 

Hi Whippy
based on 4 options given , viewed in conjunction with your signature for existing live stock
I would probably choose the 1st one if it where my tank
I might be tempted with the second one if I did not have temp concerns

I would ignore the last 2 , simply because on that sized set up you have better options than PC (for some smaller tanks you dont have that luxury)

Steve

 

The pics were just for looks really. Not being cheap with my lighting. I really just don't know if a 24" light will fit on a 30" tank.

It seems strange to me that most companies jump from 24" to 36" but maybe I just have a tank size not commonly used?


Thanks for the input thus far!! Good points, both of you

 

If you want to get SPS corals then the NO T5 is no good. You can use a 24" unit on your tank no problem. If you get PC lighting you will want to change your bulbs every 6 months. SPS will be somewhat difficult with the PC light. A MH or T5 unit will give you more options. The better quality T5 unit you buy the greater options with it also. You will have to mod any 24" unit you buy.

 

I just ordered lights from reefgeek. The best prices I have found for the teklights. I have to build legs for it but it is worth it. 4 bulb T5HO w/ any 4 bulbs is 289. Depending on what bulbs you would want it is a great deal.

ReefGeek > Lighting > T5 Fluorescent > Sunlight Supply > Tek Light Fixtures

 

Mod how? I've had the tank running for almost a year now but haven't done too much with lighting. Sorry for silly questions

 

Definitely! I'll check em out

 

You will need to build legs for it. Or a hanging device that attaches to you stand.

 

Ok, cool!
You're right, they do have some of the better prices I've seen! Now I just have to figure out how to build something to hold the lighting up