18" power compact lighting system?

[Nighty]

What lighting system would be appropriate for a 40 gallon stretch hexagon Oceanic tank?  The tank's dimensions are 30.5" (L) x 18.5" (W) x 21" (H).  

I would like to keep a well-planted aquarium and the 18" striplight included with the tank just won't cut it. I was thinking of buying a 20" or 24" Coralife Aqualight Freshwater fixture at 1 x 96w or 2 x 65w, but these would be much too long for this size tank.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[BigDaddy]

I just build a 36 Watt CF setup for my 10 gallon aquarium.

A 36 Watt CF is only 16.5 inches... 17 with the socket.  Should fit well over your tank.

If you have a plastic strip light that fits over your existing hood, it could be retrofitted

Oops... I was looking at the 18 inches.

A 22.5 inch 55 or 65 watt cf would be the way to go.  And cost a lot less than a Coralife fixture.

[Nighty]

Now that I've had a chance to inspect the aquarium in person ... the store clerk made an error. The striplight is actually 24" in length, not 18"!  That's much better.

And thanks for the retrofitting tip, BigDaddy. I'm not handy with tools at all ... is there someone on the forum who specializes in retrofitting striplights?

[BigDaddy]

All the CFs I have built I have put under a custom made wood enclosure.

I do my own setups knowing if I goof up, I only have myself to blame...  I tried tearing up an older strip light I had... and ended up snapping several retaining clips.  Might have been an older design... but I'd hate to bust a plastic hood beyond repair if I didn't consider it "expendable".