Meridian Side Legs Manual

ReefBreeders  /  Installation Guide

Side of Tank Mounts

Mounts your Meridian directly to the aquarium, no ceiling anchors required. Two legs per side clamp to the tank rim and slide into the fixture, so height and width both stay adjustable after install.

No tools needed About 10 minutes One kit per fixture
A Meridian 24 running over an aquarium on side of tank mounts, seen from below at an angle with all LEDs on.
Meridian 24 on side of tank mounts
01

What's in the kit

One kit mounts one fixture. A full set means both sides: two clamps and four legs.

4

L-shaped leg bars

Round bars with a long side and a short side, with several threaded holes for height and width adjustment.

2

U-clamps

One per side. Installs either U-shape down over the tank rim (up to 1" thick), or flat side down on a euro-brace.

8

Thumb screws

Four secure the legs to the U-clamps. Four secure the legs to the Meridian.

4

Nylon thumb screws

Used only in the U-shape-down orientation, where they add a second point of attachment against the tank.

2

Acrylic shims Optional

Sit between the nylon screws and the tank to prevent marring.

The silver side of tank mount kit laid out: four L-shaped leg bars, two U-clamps and the screw set.
Silver kit
The black side of tank mount kit laid out: four L-shaped leg bars, two U-clamps and the screw set.
Black kit
End view of a Meridian carried on a full set of side of tank mounts A tank seen from the end, with a U-clamp on each rim. Each clamp sits over the trim with its opening facing down and carries two leg bars that rise outside the tank, then run inward into the round holes in the Meridian endcaps above the water. waterline Meridian nylon screw U-clamp tank trim, up to 1 in reach per side reach per side A full set carries the fixture on both sides. Two clamps, four legs.
How a full set sits on the tank
02

Two ways to fit the clamps

The U-clamp installs one of two ways. U side down for most tanks, or flat side down for euro-brace trims.

Rimmed and rimless tanks

U-shape down, over the rim

The clamp drops over the trim or the bare glass edge, opening facing down. Fits trim up to 1 inch (25 mm) thick.

The four nylon thumb screws are used here. They tighten against the tank to add a second point of attachment on top of the clamp already sitting over the rim.

Euro-braced tanks

Flat side down, on the brace

Turn the clamp over so the closed flat side rests on top of the euro-brace. Useful when the trim is thicker than 1 inch, or the outer rim is blocked by a canopy or overflow box.

The nylon thumb screws are not used in this orientation. Set them aside.

The two clamp orientations compared On the left, the clamp is turned opening down and straddles the tank trim, with a nylon thumb screw tightened against the glass. On the right, the same clamp is turned over so its flat closed side rests on top of a euro-brace, with no nylon screws in use. U-shape down Flat side down tank rim leg nylon screw used euro-brace leg no nylon screws used
The clamp flips 180 degrees, not 90
Dimensioned drawing of the U-clamp used on the side of tank mounts.
U-clamp dimensions, the same on every kit
Either orientation relies on a rigid assembly. Once the legs are locked to both the clamps and the fixture, the whole thing holds together on its own, and the nylon screws add security on top of that. It is still not built to take a serious knock, so treat it like any other piece of aquarium electronics. Nothing should be leaning on it or shoving against it.
03

Installing the mounts

No tools required. Leave every thumb screw finger-tight until the fixture is in place and squared up.

  1. Pick your mounting height

    Each leg bar has a long arm and a short arm, and both are drilled with several holes. The arm you seat in the clamp, the hole you use, and which way up the leg goes all combine to set the final height. The legs are reversible and each orientation has a different maximum, so try both if your target height is near the top of the range.

    Whatever you choose, use the same arm, the same hole and the same orientation on all four legs.

  2. Fit the legs to the clamps

    Slide two leg bars into the slots on each U-clamp and secure each one with a thumb screw. Set the clamps to the orientation your tank calls for, so the legs end up on the outside of the tank.

  3. Slide the legs into the Meridian

    Each end of the Meridian has two round holes. Slide the free arm of each leg into a hole, one clamp assembly per side, then lower the fixture into place on the rim or the brace.

  4. Set the width

    Slide the bars in or out until the clamps sit properly on both sides and the Meridian is centered front to back. Sight down the length of the fixture and check it looks level before you lock anything down.

  5. Lock the legs to the fixture

    Tighten the four remaining thumb screws on the Meridian endcaps, two per side, to hold the width setting.

  6. Tighten the nylon screws, if you are over the rim

    In the U-shape-down orientation, tighten the four nylon thumb screws, two per clamp, until each clamp is firmly seated. Add the acrylic shims between the screws and the tank if you would rather not mark the surface. Recommended for acrylic tanks.

    If your clamps are sitting flat side down on a euro-brace, skip this step. The nylon screws and acrylic shims are not used in that orientation.

    Do not overtighten. Firm and even is enough. The nylon screws are a secondary attachment point, not a press.
A Meridian on side mounts viewed from above at an angle, showing both legs seated in the U-clamp.
Legs seated in the clamp, from above
A Meridian on side mounts viewed from a low angle, showing the leg entering the fixture endcap.
Where the leg enters the endcap
04

Specifications

Your bundle includes the kit matched to your fixture. Figures below are per pair of legs.

Meridian 11 and 24 Meridian 35, 45 and 63
Reach per side 7 in / 178 mm 8 in / 203 mm
Widest tank Fixture width + 14 in / 356 mm Fixture width + 16 in / 406 mm
Height above rim 4 to 8 in / 102 to 203 mm 5 to 10 in / 127 to 254 mm
Max above waterline 6.5 in one way, 8 in reversed 9 in one way, 10 in reversed
Trim thickness Up to 1 in / 25 mm Up to 1 in / 25 mm
Weight limit 15 lb / 6.8 kg 30 lb / 13.6 kg
Running ICS rails or Edge bars? Both work fine on a single set of legs, as long as the combined weight of everything on the rails stays under the limit above. Add up the whole assembly before you commit to it.
Two Meridian 11 fixtures joined with ICS rails and carried on a single set of side of tank mount legs.
Two Meridian 11s on ICS rails, one set of legs
A Meridian 63 with two Edge bars tilted inward, mounted on side of tank legs.
Meridian 63 with two Edge bars, tilted in
05

Adjusting later

Everything on this kit is finger-adjustable, so you can re-tune as mounting height requirements change. Be sure to unplug your light and support it fully prior to making adjustments.

  • Height: loosen the four clamp thumb screws and move the legs to a different hole, or flip them for the alternate range. Unplug and remove the light from your aquarium prior to making adjustments.
  • Width or centering: loosen the four endcap thumb screws and slide the bars in or out.
  • Moving tanks: back the nylon screws all the way out before lifting the clamps off the rim.
Re-check every few months. Salt creep and normal handling can loosen thumb screws over time. A quick finger check takes a minute and is worth doing whenever you clean the fixture.
06

Common questions

The things people ask us most about this kit.

How do I mount on a euro-braced tank?

Turn the U-clamp over so the closed flat side rests on top of the brace. In this orientation the nylon thumb screws are not used at all, so set them aside. Everything else about the install is the same.

What do the nylon thumb screws actually do?

They are only used when the clamp is fitted U-shape down over a rim. The clamp is already secured as a rigid assembly by tightening the screws on top of the light and inside the U-clamps. The nylon screws tighten against the tank to add a second point of attachment. Their nylon tips are gentler than metal against glass and acrylic, and the two included shims spread the contact further if you would rather not mark the surface.

What size tank rims does it fit?

Trim up to 1 inch (25 mm) thick in the U-shape-down orientation. That covers the large majority of rimmed aquariums, and rimless tanks take the clamp straight onto the bare glass edge. If your tank has a euro-brace, turn the clamps over and rest them flat on the euro-brace instead.

How far does the mount extend past the light?

7 inches (180 mm) per side on the Meridian 11 and 24 kit, 8 inches (200 mm) per side on the 35, 45 and 63 kit. So the widest tank you can span is your fixture width plus 14 or 16 inches respectively.

How high above the tank does the light sit?

The 11 and 24 kit gives 4 to 8 inches (102 to 203 mm) above the rim. The 35, 45 and 63 kit gives 5 to 10 inches (127 to 254 mm). The legs are reversible and each arm is drilled with several holes, so you can land close to whatever height your optics call for.

Can I use half a set on one side only?

No. The fixture has to be carried on both sides. A full set is two clamps and four legs, and both clamps have to be mounted for the assembly to be safe.

Can I use these with ICS rails?

Yes. Build the assembly on the rails as usual and carry the whole thing on one set of legs, as long as the combined weight stays under the limit for your kit.