I'm rejoining this hobby after a 20 year hiatus.

I'd like to setup a so-called 120 which is 60"x18"x24" for a planted freshwater tank. That size is perfect for my home.

The lighting options for this size tank are not clear cut as they are for a 48" long tank. Some bulbs are not made longer than 48", but some are. At least three different ideas come to mind

1. Buy a 60" fixture and live with the limited selection of bulbs
2. Buy a 48" fixture and try to make it cover the whole tank
3. Buy two 30" fixtures (or a 36" + 24") and deal with slightly higher replacement costs, but full coverage. (Will it be noticeable in the tank that there isn't a continuous bulb? Will these "fit" into a standard canopy?) I will be making my own canopy, so I have some flexibility but

What approach can you recommend? Is there a different approach?

While I'm at it, can I ask for an opinion on type of fixture? two bulb T5, four bulb T5, other?

Alright, So I am a DIY guy. And I have been working with LED's for the past 4-5years now, mostly in automotive, but it's all basically the same idea.
The only thing I don't know about LED's is how they are effect plants and the like, and from what I understand they work as well as any of the traditional method's as far as I know.

So this is what you do, you go on ebay, you look for something like this (you can probably find a better price but it looks like it has just about everything u need)
They come with a sticky tape layer the you peal as you need, you then simply stick them to the hood of your tank plug in, and your done. Unless you want to stagger them a bit more to to fit your needs and your comfortable with a little soldering you can arrange the strips any way you want.
You can pick any color you want or a color mix pattern
If you want to save some money and have a little easier install you can pick a single color instead of the RGB make I used in my example.
NOTE: Tho they are "water proof" I wouldn't submerge them, its meant more for rain when they say "water proof"
NOTE: tho very sticky and strong, the tape can come lose over a period of time, so I recommend adding something like silicone or hot glue along the edge of them in spaced out sections for further support.

I have been running some bright white led's on my little beta aquarium for the last 7months now, never unplugged they have been turned on steady, and bright as can be. Average life time 50,000 hours runtime which is just less then 6years if left on the entire time. Note: There are no plants in my beta tank.

If you decide to go with this option feel free to pick my brain.

I would say if you are going to build a canopy then I would use T-5 retros. I think just a 2 bulb will be enough unless you plan to run pressurized CO2.

Thank you for your replies. Both are helpful.

RE: T5
I may have diluted things by asking too many things in the original post. My real dillema is whether the 48" bulbs would provide uniform coverage over a 60" tank. If they do, then they are the way I'll go. If not, would you go with 60" bulbs, or 2x30, or 36+24?

RE: LEDs
I really like the flexibility they offer in terms of mounting and control, but do they have the spectral output for growing plants? Not knowing how LEDs work, does one company's LED have the same spectral characteristics as anothers? Do freshwater aquarists have a lot of experience with the specific bulbs you mention?

I would use 4 footers they will give good coverage