Lights for Planted Aquariums

Light is what plants eat. Too little, plants stall. Too much, algae takes over. Match output to your plant selection, then worry about features.

How we think about lights

Three tiers:

Low-tech (no CO2): budget LEDs like the Hygger 957 — enough for Anubias, Java fern, Cryptocoryne.
Medium-tech: Fluval Plant 3.0 or similar. Programmable, dimmable, enough PAR for most stem plants.
High-tech (CO2): Chihiros WRGB II class. Under this, carpets don’t carpet, reds don’t redden.

Run lights 6–8 hours per day on a timer. A siesta mid-day is optional; the research on whether it helps is mixed.

Decision guides