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To provide aquatic plants with an informed aquarium lighting selection, you must provide a light bulb or fluorescent tube lamp. As a result, we can infer that the light spectrum promotes the development of freshwater aquarium plants.
You may need to choose a bulb with more robust red and blue lighting for your plants, as well as mild green, orange, and yellow spectrums for a more natural visual output.
Since blue and red lights are quickly absorbed, a mixture of the two assists in leaf and stem growth. Greenlight, which is often mirrored, is better for your eyes.
So, let’s start with the question- What Is the Best Light Spectrum you may find?
We have elaborately discussed the best Light Spectrum for Aquarium Plants you may find on the internet or the market. We have gathered them all here in one place.
Also worth reading;
- How To Grow Cabomba Aquarium Plant: Complete Guide
- How To Grow Hornwort Aquarium Plant: Care Guide
- How to Plant Water Lily Bulbs in an Aquarium
- How To Clean Plastic Aquarium Plants: Complete Guide
- The Best Floating Aquarium Plants For Fry, Shrimp, and Betta
Is It Important To Pay Attention To Color Temperature?
Looking for the color temperature can also be a convenient way to recognize the light spectrum of aquarium light. This is linked to the light’s ‘black body temperature,’ which predicts the most common light output wavelength.
If that sounds too confusing, keep in mind that soft yellowish color lights have a color temperature of less than 3000 K. In comparison, blue hue lights may have a color temperature of more than 5000 K.
Many people recommend simulating the sun’s Kelvin temperature in full daylight to produce the best results, but experts are divided on this.
But if you want to be quick and simply want the best one on the list, we may suggest NCICREW ClassicLED.
Top Chart Comparison Table
| Spectrum Light | Specifications | Buy from Amazon |
| Fluval Plant 3.0 |
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| Current USA Satellite PRO |
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| DCI CREW ClassicLED |
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| Beamswork DA Pent |
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Best Light Spectrum for Aquarium Plants
The following are the best light spectrum for aquarium plants;
1. Fluval Plant Spectrum Three.0 light– Premium Growth For Medium Depth
Fluval is a famous maker of high-quality, low-cost aquatic products such as filtration systems, fish ponds, and lighting fixtures.
The Aquasky LED helps you personalize your lighting system by mixing super-bright white LEDs with the necessary red, blue, and green tri-colored lights for optimum plant growth.
There are also several gimmicky possibilities to mess with, such as disappearing lunar, lightning, cloud cover, and stormy weather.
The Skypad infrared remote control helps you change the sky and color effects from your armchair’s safety. Lensed LEDs have 120o light dispersion for excellent aquarium coverage and lighting uniformity.
Key Features:
- 25-watt power
- 32”-40” length
- 6500K white LEDs
- Tri-colored RGB LEDs
- Customizable lighting options
- 120-degree light dispersion
Things May Bother You
The light is not totally waterproof, we would suggest installing it over a glass. In that manner, your light will not be harmed.
2. Current USA Satellite And Professional – Ideal For Stem Plants In Medium-Deep Tanks
The current USA built their fixture to be as unobtrusive as possible, but it had the opposite effect. It’s anything but unimpressive! The head unit is slightly thicker than a 1/2′′ (12.5 mm) and has a streamlined, minimal build.
It employs Radio Frequency, which is susceptible to being deflected by electronics. The cord length is an essential aspect of all aquarium lighting that is often ignored. Hobbyists are constantly hoping for enough duration to attach to the surge protector.
Prices for Current USA’s Satellite Freshwater LED Plus are also beautiful.
Key Features:
- 4 Color Spectrum Adjustment RGB+W
- 6 Color Presets
- 4 Custom Color Memory Settings
- 12 On-Demand Weather Effects
- Power ON / OFF
Things May Bother You
We would suggest not using it if you have a too-deep tank.
3. Critical ClassicLED Lights – Perfect For Low-light Tanks On A Budget
This isn’t shocking, given that many beginners prefer a low-risk, low-light planted tank, which this LED lighting fixture is ideal for. Since the manufacturers made sure to remove any needless bells and whistles, it’s a budget-friendly choice.
The PUR and PAS are also adequate, as they can support a wide variety of low-light live aquatic plants. By the way, the spectrum makes your colorful fish pop. In any case, you’ll save money on both the initial cost and the subsequent energy use.
You’ll get minimal light spread and shadowing in the corners if you buy the shorter fixture and expand it to match a more giant planted aquarium. Since the lids don’t match very well, you must be very careful when opening them. You’ll be fine as long as you don’t unintentionally push them or something.
Key Feature:
- Material: Glass Tube, Plastic protection caps, Rubber suction cups.
- Quantity of LED: 18pcs LED Color of the Light: White Light
- Length of Light Bar(including protection caps): 18~20cm (7.5 inches)
- Diameter: 18mm(Glass Tube), 27mm(Protection Cap)
- Power Input: 100V-240V 50Hz/60Hz
- Output 12V/0.5A
- Cable Length: about 115cm (Plug to Adaptor) + 115cm(adaptor to LED bar) approx
- Power Plug: US plug
Things May Bother You
The key problem we have with the MingDak LED Aquarium Light is that it is not ideal for growing live plants that need medium or high lighting. So if you know that your plants won’t tolerate bright light, we would not suggest this one for you.
4. Beamswork DA FSPEC 0.50W Pent – Grows Aquarium Plants In Shallower Tanks
Beamswork’s DA FSPEC 0.50W Pent is a slightly improved version of the EA FSPEC. The Pent would finally work for a high-tech breeder-planted tank of 10, 15, 20, or 30 gallons. Tanks with a height of 12 inches. This LED light will help aquarium plants that need a lot of light to grow, which is excellent, given its low price.
The daylight range enhances both fish and aquarium plants’ colors, giving your planted tank a very appealing hue. When designing my tanks on a budget.
The drawbacks are that the LEDs do not have flawless beam blending. If your filter or aerator overexcited the water surface, you would find a slightly disco-colored bottom.
Aside from that, the BeamsWork DA FSPEC Pent is a low-cost LED light that can grow live aquarium plants in a shallow tank. If your plans for a planted aquascape suit this definition, then go ahead and buy either one.
Key Features:
- Lumen: 3100
- LEDs: 60x 0.50W
- Config: 42x 10000K, 8x Actinic 460nm, 5x Red 620nm, 5x Green 520nm
- Timer Ready, 2 Mode Day / Night
- Suitable for freshwater, plants, cichlid
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright should aquarium lights be?
If you only use “Simple” plants, 10-20 lumen (0.25 to 0.5 watts) per liter is appropriate. We suggest 20-40 lumens (0.5 to 1 watt) per liter for “Medium” plants and more than 40 lumens (1 watt) per liter for “Advanced” plants.
Is LED light bad for aquarium fish?
Driven lights are healthy for fish. LED lights are also safe to use in freshwater aquariums of live plants. Aquarium lighting can be activated for 8 to 12 hours a day.
Will regular LED lights grow plants?
In general, indeed. However, since LED technology is so versatile, each bulb is unique. You want bulbs that emit the same combination of red, blue, and other wavelengths that your plants want.
Take Away
There is a wide variety of lighting options available right now to accommodate tanks of all sizes, but you should first do some introspection.
We’ve decoded some of the jargon surrounding light spectra in this article, including the Kelvin rank, PAR, and the all-important PAS.
We’ve also mentioned why it’s important to have versatility in your setup, as well as some examples of fish that can excel in low-light environments.
Overall, selecting the best light spectrum will allow your aquatic plants to grow and flourish, adding interest and color to your tank while enhancing your fish’s cleanliness and overall health and well-being.
