How to retro a 30 inch tank?(hey 29g owners)

[PunkRawker]

since pc retros always come in 24 (too short) and 36 (too long) lengths, if you just center the retro would the 3 inches of shortness on each side of the bulb do any harm? How do all you 29 owners have your tank lighted (other than MH)?

[Lunchbucket]

3" on each side isn't a big deal. you could put some lower light corals on the ends. i personally wouldn't worry too much about it!

Lunchbucket

[HuBu]

hmm i m planning on putting a 1 175W MH in the middle with 2 36W PCs on the sides.

[tyoberg]

I have a 37 gal (30" wide) with 24" PC's in it--works fine and the intensity at the ends is marginally less than in the center.

Ty

[Kapelakin]

I wouldn't worry about it. I have a 24" fixture with dual 55 watt PC's over a 30" tank, and the ends stay well-lit. I don't have rocks piled up on the ends anyway, so I'm not likely to be putting much at the very ends of the tank. If you're retrofitting you could stagger the bulbs if it bothers you that much, but then you might want to go with 50/50's rather than one actinic and one daylight.