Lighting Fixture Sizes

This maybe a dumb question, but I had to ask it. I was looking at lighting options for my 29 gallon tank. The tanks measurements are: 30 x 12 x 18. I'm seeing mostly 24" fixtures and just a few 30" fixtures. Logic tells me that only the 30" are going to fit on my tank, but I'm seeing a lot of 24" out there. As far as I know I don't have a irregular size tank so I got me wondering why so many 24 inchers?

Are the legs on the lighting fixtures curved to make up for width of the fixture on a 24"? Or are they straight and I need only be concerned with what 30" fixtures that I can find?

I'm looking at T5 - btw.

 

a bunch of fixtures you can slide the legs in to fit a smaller tank. also some fixtures you can hang, if you don't feel like hanging focus on the 30 inch ones

the legs won't make up for the 6 inch difference

some of the one or 2 bulb fixtures come with the extendable metal things on the side of the fixture that are designed to latch on to the sides of the tank those would work but i don't see many of those.

metal things
top view
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side view
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clip on lights are a good option for odd size tanks to, you could probably get away with a single metal halide clip on like a single 150 watt

 

T5 is 24" and 36" so you have your choice of having the fixture wider than your tank or skinner than your tank. If it wider your going to get a lot of light spill over.

 

I don't want light spill over nor do I want to get into hanging lights from the ceiling. In a perfect world I just want sit or clip the lights onto the tank. If I can do that with a 24" fixture, I'd go that route.

 

Thats what she said ;D

 

T5, like stated only makes 24" and 36" because thats the size bulbs that are produced. I GOOD 24" t5 will definetly be adequete for a 30" tank. Heck, I have a 72" tank w/ 60" bulbs and it is BRIGHT from end to end, no dim areas at all. Check out Tek lights or the TX5 by Aquactinics, either way you will be VERY happy!!

Good luck