How to be a complete Idiot and waste all your money and time.

[Ruth]

Well that makes things more challenging for sure! Not sure how close your tank is to the wall but would it be possible to use say 2 shelf brackets on the back wall and use those to hang the light? I know it would probably be a little high in order to clear the skimmer and fuge but maybe you can sell that to your parents as you can then put a shelf on top of the brackets to store your fish stuff and books and clear up some of the clutter (if you have any - I know I sure do)
I use 2 plant hangers to suspend a light over my 24g Nano and it works just fine - I couldn't suspend it from the ceiling as it was not strong enough to hold the light.
Worth a try.