What is The Best Aquarium Light For Plants?

Low-TechLow-Tech Aquariums, 20-75 Gallons

For medium-sized planted tanks that are low-tech without pressurized CO2, we recommend the Fluval Plant 4.0 & 4.0 Pro LED Aquarium Lights. These lights have several features that make this light our favorite for this tank type. Key features:

• Medium light output that is enough for easy-to-medium-demand plants without being so bright as to lead to algae blooms.
• Built-in Bluetooth control allows you to program the light to dim up and down throughout the day, replicating a day-night schedule.
• The light is very water-resistant and can withstand being submerged for short periods. Don’t push your luck submerging the light, but it is nice to know that if you drop it in the tank by accident, it will be OK.
• Available in 24", 36", & 48" lengths.

Low-TechLow-Tech Tanks, 75 – 200 gallons

For larger low-tech tanks, we recommend the Kessil A160WE Tuna Sun LED Aquarium Lights. These pendant-style lights can be linked in series, allowing multiple lights to operate from a single controller. We recommend one light for every 18–24 inches of tank length for low-tech tanks. We have A160WE bundles with everything included. Here is what makes the A 160 our choice:

• The A160WE has a dense matrix LED that gives beautiful glitter lines in the aquarium, making it one of the most attractive lighting options for your tank.
• The pendant-style light makes this light perfect for rimless tanks with wood or other scaping material coming out of the tank. The Gooseneck Mount makes elevating and angling the light around the scape super easy.
• The power is more intense than strip lights, but not so much as to cause algae issues in a low-tech tank.
• The Kessil Spectral Controller X can control multiple lights together to provide the dawn-dusk effect.

High-TechHigh-Tech Tanks, 20-75 Gallons

For medium-sized high-tech tanks with CO2 injection, we recommend the Kessil A160WE Tuna Sun LED Aquarium Light, just as we do for larger low-tech tanks. The A160WE offers the same benefits as large low-tech tanks, but when used on smaller tanks, the light is very intense, making it better suited to high-tech tanks.

High-TechHigh-Tech Tanks, 75-200 Gallons

For large planted tanks, we recommend the Kessil A360XE Tuna Sun. This light is the big brother of the Kessil A160WE Tuna Sun. It has all the same features, plus a few extras that make it a truly premium light. Each light is approximately twice as bright as the A160, making this light best suited for larger aquariums with high light demands. We recommend using one light pendant for every 18–24 inches of tank length. Here are some of the added features that make the A360XE Tuna Sun extra special.

• Available narrowing lens that allows the light to be mounted high off the water’s surface to provide light to the bottom of extra-deep tanks or allow room for plants to grow out of the water.
• The A360XE has moon lighting when used with the Spectral Controller X or WiFi Dongle, as well as independent control of the red and green color spectrum.
• Different lights in the same light string can be controlled separately, allowing you to create zones of highlight and lower light.

Nano TanksSmall Planted Tanks > 20 Gallons

For small planted aquariums under 20 gallons, we recommend the Kessil Tuna Sun A80 LED Light. The A80 is the miniaturized version of the larger Kessil lights. It is only 15 watts and can be dimmed up or down to create high-light and low-light environments. There is no other light this small that has the same look and features as a large flagship planted light. We recommend placing one light per every 10–12 inches of tank length. Here is what makes the A80 such a special nano light:

• The A80 has the same dense matrix and spectrum as the larger Kessil lights, giving it the same beautiful shimmer lines and well-blended light that really shows off the tank aquascape.
• The A80 has a Mini Gooseneck Mount (separate purchase) allowing you to angle the light around your scape and encourage plants to grow out of the water.
• The A80 can be daisy-chained and controlled through the spectral controller, creating the dawn/dusk effect and synchronizing it across multiple lights.