If you are looking to decorate or grow any kind of aquatic plant, it is very important that you provide light for the plants and creatures in the aquarium.
Because if you do not provide enough good light, the plant will not receive the energy it needs to grow and develop.
Furthermore, choosing the right LED lights for a planter tank can be very challenging. Therefore we have come up with the top 6 best aquarium lights for planted tanks.
Here are the best aquarium lights for planted tanks you can buy in 2025:
- Best Overall: NICREW N10372 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- Runner Up: NICREW N14582 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- Best Budget: hygger Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- Best Durable: SEAOURA SR-616 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- Best Convenient: NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- High Quality: NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
| 6 Best Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | NICREW N10372 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks | |
Runner Up | NICREW N14582 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks | |
Best Budget | hygger Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks | |
Best Durable | SEAOURA SR-616 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks | |
Best Convenient | NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks | |
High Quality | NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks | |
Best Overall: NICREW N10372 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- For fresh and saltwater
- High material
- Various bright
- Do not set timer
NICREW N10372 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Combines 6500K white, 450nm blue, 660nm deep red and green LEDs, producing a fine-tuned color spectrum. It can be an adjustable spectrum on 2 lighting modes and achieves more control flexibility.
Moreover, it provides more options to adjust the auto On/Off time and brightness. The product Featured 15 or 30-minute ramp-up and dim-down to simulate natural sunrise and sunset, waking the fish up in soft lighting and ensuring a good sleep at night.
Thanks to a high CRI of 91 for better appreciation of aquatic plants without distortion, restoring the most accurate natural colors of fish and aquatic plants. It also is Suitable for freshwater or saltwater fish and low-medium light level plants.
The outside made of Aluminum alloy shell helps best heat dissipation, and this light is recommended for use over glass or acrylic canopy-covered aquariums.
| NICREW N10372 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Specifications | |
|---|---|
Product Dimensions | 17.52 x 4.57 x 2.52 inches |
Weight | 1.54 Pounds |
Finish style | Alloy,Glass |
Material | Aluminum |
Color | Black |
Size | 18 - 24 in |
Shape | Shell |
Source type | LED |
Suitable for freshwater or saltwater and more control flexibility
Runner Up: NICREW N14582 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- Work well
- Easy to set timer
- High light
- Weak water resistant
NICREW N14582 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Has super bright 6500K White LEDs with optimized spectrum 460nm Blue LEDs for healthy growth of plants.
The product offers a higher level of luminous efficiency and brightness, 50% brighter than before. It can be made for both brightness and color temperature. It is very easy to lower the blue lights for a more warm look, or use high blues and low whites for a cool even look.
You can build an 8/10/12H Timer and 15 minute ramp up / dim down. Ideal for freshwater or saltwater environments fish-only and low-high light level aquarium plants, for aquariums 12 - 18in.
| NICREW N14582 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Specifications | |
|---|---|
Product Dimensions | 17.72 x 5.12 x 3.23 inches |
Weight | 2.05 pounds |
Finish type | Polished |
Material | Glass, Acrylic |
Color | Blue,white |
Source type | LED |
Power source | Corded Electric |
Super bright 6500k and set timer
Best Budget: hygger Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- 3 different times change color
- Decent price
- High quality
- Sometimes the light will turn off or on, it means not following the timer.
Hygger Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks is DC12V/9W, 5730 large leds, super bright, makes the aquarium water look more sparkly clean. It suggests a fish tank 12 inch to 18 inch in width, supporting low-to-mid light level plant growth. Input: AC100-240V/60HZ. It stands for using freshwater aquariums.
Moreover, It comes with 2 metal and 2 plastic mounting brackets, which are both freely extendable. You can assemble this led fish tank light on most aquarium tanks, with cover or no, with rims or rimless.
It Is very easy to shift the color by pressing the second button for 1 to 3 times on the controller. Thus, the color changes will make your one aquarium change 3 different times. With premium leds, energy efficient, can last up to 20000 hours of lighting.
| hygger Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Specifications | |
|---|---|
Product Dimensions | 10.3 x 3.2 x 2.4 inches; |
Weight | 1.1 Pounds |
Color | Black |
Size | 9W (12-18 inch) |
Style | Shell |
Suitable for freshwater and easy to install
Best Durable: SEAOURA SR-616 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- Safe fish
- Quite powerful
- Freshwater
- Does not stand for saltwater
SEAOURA SR-616 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Is suitable for all fresh water tanks. The controller is very simple and has no complicated operations. Adding high-quality 2835 model led beads, long service life, at least 50,000 hours.
It is a compact design and good heat dissipation of the ABS shell. Using the stable and durable metal bracket, adjustable extendable bracket fit for most gallon tanks.
Especially, The aquarium light fits for 36 inch -42 inch tanks and light slowly ramps up in 15 minutes and down at last 15 minutes.
| SEAOURA SR-616 Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Specifications | |
|---|---|
Product Dimensions | 39 x 3.75 x 2.8 inches |
Weight | 2.59 pounds |
Material | Acrylonitrile |
Color | Black |
Style | Tropical |
Power source | Corded Electric |
Source type | LED |
It does not stand for saltwater and light is soft and full spectrum
Best Convenient: NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- Waterproof
- Lightweight
- High functions
- Lack of information about the product to know more
NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Combines 6500K white, 460nm blue, and TRUE 660nm deep red LEDs that efficiently maximize the photosynthesis of plants.
The light utilizes a backlit LCD screen controller at this price point for the first time. Individual dimming from 0% to 100% for CH1 (white and red LEDs) and CH2 (blue LEDs). Included 10,000 color temperature combinations are available.
The product will be Customized on/off time gives more freedom than traditional preset timing. Furthermore, The gradual ramp-up and dim-down features simulate a natural sunrise and sunset each day.
| NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Specifications | |
|---|---|
Product Dimensions | 17.6 x 3.5 x 2.52 inches |
Weight | 1.34 pounds |
Material | Aluminum |
Color | Blue,white,red |
Size | 21 inches |
Shape | Rectangular |
Power source | Aluminum |
Natured center design and water resistant
High Quality: NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks
- Stable timer
- Multiple color
- Waterproof
- High price
NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks starting with warm orange light at sunrise to bright full spectrum light at noon and starry blue light at the last 30 minutes, auto on/off every morning and night.
It has multiple colors that can meet your needs for cool colors and individuality without programming so It can create a spectacular atmosphere for your aquarium and creates a beautiful addition to any room. Moreover, you can set on or off time.
| NICREW Aquarium Lights For Planted Tanks Specifications | |
|---|---|
Product Dimensions | 14.21 x 3.35 x 2.24 inches |
Weight | 15.2 ounces |
Material | Aluminum, Metal |
Color | Black |
Size | 12-18 inch |
Shape | Shell |
Light source | LED |
Multi functions and light cycle
How To Choose The Best Aquarium Light For Planted Tanks?
Timer
One of the good features you will want for an LED lighting system. The timer allows consistent lighting every day. There is a consistent photoperiod (the time your tank receives light) required for a successfully planted aquarium.
But every day will be different, 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 1 hour. If you forget to turn off the lights even once, it can be very dangerous. It can take you months of trying to gradually train and renovate the aquarium. The timer is the key.
Light spectrum
Usually the color of light is produced and it is measured in Kelvin (K). As daylight is actually about 6500K. However, the tree can work well in the range from 2700k (warm color: yellow - red), to 10000K (white light mixed with blue). With LEDs outside of this range, like actinic lights or coral lights (the blue lights on saltwater tanks), they tend not to work well on grow tanks.
The colors can technically grow plants.
As long as it's no more than 10000K or blue coral light is suitable. So plants can grow well in these spectrums, all that's left to do is choose an appropriate color. The most popular choice for hobbyists is around 6700K (same as the sun).
Aquarium Size and Brightness
The higher the aquarium, the more energy you need. If you shine a normal flashlight into an aquarium, every 4 inches of water will take a flashlight twice as powerful to maintain the same brightness.
So, if there is a 1-foot-deep water tank, it is possible to stay away from installing a low wattage unit that still achieves medium light. But, if you put that same fixture into a deep pool of water, it will be put in the low light category.
Therefore, if you place a powerful LED fixture over a 1-foot-deep water tank, it will light up and may be difficult to plant. Which means you need to pour a lot of fertilizer and CO2 into the tank to counteract that much light, which can really get in the way.
Plants in the tank
You need to understand the type of plants you have in your aquarium in relation to the depth of the tank. Different plants will need low, medium, or high light intensity. So we need the dimmer feature, because it allows the intensity to be adjusted.
Which Brands Make The Best Aquarium Light For Planted Tanks?
NICREW
Every aquarium hobbyist wants to create and maintain a good living environment and maximize the quality of life for their aquarium friends – and Nicrew has the same beliefs and values.
Nicrew broke into the aquarium lighting in 2015 and then expanded its product line to include filters, pumps, heaters, maintenance and other aquarium products, providing a full range of products for aquarium plants and fish and focusing on every little life inside the fish tank.
Nicrew positions itself as a brand that offers high quality products at an affordable price. It pursues innovation, pays attention to detail and the user experience. Nicrew prides itself on understanding what aquarium hobbyists want and need. It has earned the trust of fish-hobbyists and continued to develop and grow since 2015. We are going to stay true to this principle – it is our core tenet.
Nicrew is committed to making fish keeping easier and more enjoyable. And Nicrew will keep on providing more innovative and high-quality aquarium products for aquatic hobbyists.
Conclusion
Having said that, choosing the right aquarium lights for planted tanks is one of the most important aspects of an aquarium. Thanks to our buying guide and list of the product that can help you understand more the features of the light before buying it.
However, you should depend on the needs of the animals and plants you'll be keeping, the size and dimensions of your aquarium and your budget.
