Best LED Aquarium Lighting

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Best LED Aquarium Lighting

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So your current aquarium lighting system just isn’t covering it--there’s no shame in admitting it. Our team has researched and reviewed best-selling aquarium lighting for tanks of all types and sizes, for showing off your fish or helping your plants grow. But first, look over these specs to consider when looking for LED aquarium lighting.

Best LED Aquarium Lighting

Power: Watts: the more of them you have, the brighter your lights will be. Bigger tanks need brighter lighting systems.

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Dimmable: Dimmable bulbs are a good feature to look for if you want to simulate nighttime and daytime, or save energy.

Full Spectrum: If you have live plants, a full-spectrum LED aquarium light is a must-have to help your plants be ultra-happy.

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Water: Some lights are optimized for seawater or freshwater systems, while others work just as well for either.

Best LED Aquarium Lighting

Size: LED lighting is often relatively slim, but compare the dimensions to your tank to get the best fit.

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Warranty: A warranty can give you an idea of how well-made the aquarium LED lights are, and give you peace of mind.

Top 10 Products

Ready to light up your fishes’ lives? Our top pick and budget pick bring out the best of LED aquarium lighting, but for the full aquarium light experience, read the other reviews, too! Make your fish feel like they’re really under the sea (or lake, or pond)!

Galaxyhydro Aquarium Light

Galaxyhydro Aquarium Light
The Galaxyhydro Aquarium Light comes to the head of our list of the best LED aquarium lights. With 165W of super-bright 45mil Bridgelux and Epistar chips, the Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) is at an all-time high! You can control the white and blue lights completely separately, including dimmer settings from 0-100% for each and two separate power cords. Two fans work quietly to keep the lights cool, and the full spectrum of visible light helps plants grow to their fullest potential. The result: an aquarium lighting system that suits 20-50 gallon tanks! If you want more automatic control, this lighting system is also available with WiFi controls for adjusting the settings from a distance using their smartphone app. The manufacturer reports that it has a 10-year lifespan with normal use thanks to the larger chips and high-performing heat dissipation. Plus, there’s a one-year warranty on your side!
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Nicrew Fish Tank Light

Nicrew Fish Tank Light
The best LED aquarium lighting for fish enthusiasts on a budget: the Nicrew Fish Tank Light. This 11W light fits tanks 20-27’’ long, while other options fit 11-19’’, 28-36’’, and 37-45’’ tanks. Adjustable metal brackets let you customize the fit for tank rims as wide as ½ ‘’. The two lighting modes work by the flick of a switch to transfer from daylight to moonlight. Use the white and blue LEDs to simulate daylight, then switch to blue-only LEDs for nighttime. The 72 LEDs consist of 60 white and 12 blue LEDs to provide a ton of brightness and light for fish to thrive and plants to grow. Although not full spectrum, the lights should still work well enough for most aquarium life. Despite the awesome brightness this lamp provides, it still has a low price that’s ideal for aquarium caretakers on a budget who want to keep their tank inhabitants happy.
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Orbit Marine Aquarium Light

Orbit Marine Aquarium Light
For total control over your delicate aquarium ecosystem, the Orbit Marine Aquarium Light is one of the best aquarium lights around. We focused on the 46W model that fits tanks 48-60’’ wide, but other options include the 18-24’’, 24-36’’, and 36-48’’ fits. The remote control provides programming options beyond our wildest dreams. Set the light ramp up and dim down time duration up to 30 minutes, the intensity from 0-100%, and adjust the colors as well. Multi-chip LEDs provide Dual Daylight and Dual Actinic lighting with 120 degree lenses. You can program 24 hour on/off times to create a natural light cycle that benefits your tank. Impress friends with the “thunderstorm” flashing light option, too! Tired of boring old tank lights? Then it’s time to take your beautiful ocean ecosystem to the max. Does that even make sense? We don’t know. We’re so excited about this lamp!
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Lightimetunnel Full Spectrum Light

Lightimetunnel Full Spectrum Light
If you need some of the best aquarium LED lighting around for your 20-50 gallon tank, the Lightimetunnel Full Spectrum Light is a terrific option. With 45mil 3W Bridgelux/Epileds LED chips covering the full spectrum of light, you can keep LPS and SPS coral and reef systems happy, as well as live plant systems. Fans help conduct away heat, and you can dim the LEDs for simulating moonlight. You can also switch between a “white/red” channel and a “blue” channel outside of the fully lit option. The Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) level is 858, so it’s both full-spectrum and great for aquarium life and healthy growth. One light works well for 24x24x24’’ tanks thanks to the secondary lens providing extra brightness. Sit back and enjoy your fully illuminated aquarium! Note that this kit comes with a hanging kit for suspension over your tank.
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Coodia Aquarium Hood Light

Coodia Aquarium Hood Light
Do you ever wish your aquarium looked more like a disco? Wish no more with the Coodia Aquarium Hood Light! With 36 LEDs in 16 colors, your fish will never be bored again. The full-featured remote control lets you select the color you want from a panel of buttons, as well as dim the lights or set them to strobe, fade, flash, or cycle through. You can set to specific colors throughout the day to help give your live plants a boost! The hood light also has an attached controller for adjusting the lights without the remote. This hood light uses extendable brackets to fit tanks 11-19.5’’ long, but other models fit 19-28’’ and 28-35’’ tank lengths. Show off some incredible colors in your tank with this awesome hood light! The remote is really the best part since it gives you total control over the colors and color transitions.
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Marineland LED Light Hood

Marineland LED Light Hood
The 30x12’’ Marineland LED Light Hood (also available in 24x12’’ and 20x10’’ for smaller tanks) fits 20 long, 29, and 37-gallon tanks while only consuming 5W of power. The 45 LEDs are mostly white with three blue LEDs mixed in. A six foot power cord gives you some flexibility when you install it, and this light hood has a large cutout for filters. Switch to the daylight setting for full lighting, or turn on the blue LEDs only for a calming nighttime glow. You can easily feed your fish without struggling with this LED light hood, and plants with low to medium light requirements can thrive under it as well. The lighting system has a hinge that can be lifted to access the tank. Although you can use this aquarium LED light with any water type, the manufacturer notes that it works best with freshwater.
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Mingdak LED Aquarium Light

Mingdak LED Aquarium Light
The Mingdak 11W LED Aquarium Light (also available in a smaller 6W size) fits tanks 20’’ to 27’’ wide. It comes with brackets for installing the light on top of your tank quickly and easily. A total of 60 white LEDs and 12 blue LEDs provide white and blue light for your fish. Use the blue light only setting for nighttime and the white and blue light for daytime viewing. Some plants can also benefit from this lighting, although aquariums with an emphasis on live plants and coral may require a more plant-centric lighting option. Despite only pulling 11W, this tank light is BRIGHT! For providing basic lighting to saltwater or freshwater fish, this LED tank light is hard to beat. It also installs securely thanks to the mounting brackets that fit over the rim of the tank. The LEDs stay cool, so you’ll need to keep using your tank heater if you have one!
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Zitrades Fish Tank LED Light

Zitrades Fish Tank LED Light
This 7W adjustable LED tank light works best for five-gallon tanks but can be used on tanks up to ten gallons for environmental lighting. The light uses 28 LED lights, four blue and 24 white, to illuminate the tank interior. If your saltwater or freshwater tank is focused on the fish with few to no live plants, this light should work well for showing them off while simulating a deep underwater environment. The lamp sits on the end of a gooseneck, so you can adjust the angle of the light. You can set the light to bright white, blue and white mixed, or blue only. Just clip the light onto the tank and you’ll be ready to go! It works well as an accessory light, too. If you have a small tank that needs a lighting boost, this low-wattage tank light should work well for keeping you and your fish happy as clams.
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OceanRevive Aquarium Reef Light

The OceanRevive Aquarium Reef Light packs a punch with 120W of full spectrum lighting, making it one of the best aquarium lighting options for live plants. Provide core coverage for an SPS tank up to 26x18’’ or regular coverage for a mixed reef tank up to 32x24’’. The kit includes two mounting options: hanging or bracket. The bracket fits tank widths from 19.7’’ to 30’’, no holes in the ceiling required! A remote control and built-in digital timer let you separately adjust the time and intensity of the blue and full spectrum light channels--WOW! The lighting covers the majority of the visible light spectrum, plus ultraviolet, to help a range of plants and corals thrive. The high Kelvin cool white LEDs lend a blue look to the lighting, but your plants are getting a full dose of awesome visible light from the other LEDs! We loved the included remote control and the ability to dim and set timers for different channels.
The OceanRevive Aquarium Reef Light packs a punch with 120W of full spectrum lighting, making it one of the best aquarium lighting options for live plants. Provide core coverage for an SPS tank up to 26x18’’ or regular coverage for a mixed reef tank up to 32x24’’. The kit includes two mounting options: hanging or bracket. The bracket fits tank widths from 19.7’’ to 30’’, no holes in the ceiling required! A remote control and built-in digital timer let you separately adjust the time and intensity of the blue and full spectrum light channels--WOW! The lighting covers the majority of the visible light spectrum, plus ultraviolet, to help a range of plants and corals thrive. The high Kelvin cool white LEDs lend a blue look to the lighting, but your plants are getting a full dose of awesome visible light from the other LEDs! We loved the included remote control and the ability to dim and set timers for different channels.
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Niello Plant Growth Light

An aquarium just isn’t complete without thriving plants. The Niello Freshwater Plant Growth Light is one of the best aquarium lights for plants that we found in our research. The full spectrum LED lighting provides lots of light to help freshwater plants live long and prosper! A single Niello light works well for up to your average ten-gallon tank. The 18 LEDs include eight royal blue at 460nm, four white at 14,000 K, two white at 6,500 K, two violet at 420nm, one red at 630nm, and one cyan at 520nm. The optics are designed to cover 120 degrees for full coverage of your tank.The grow light casts a bluish tone due to the white LEDs on the Kelvin scale, but it’s the other LEDs that really “feed” your plants! Red plants may especially benefit from this light since they use more blue light than green plants.
An aquarium just isn’t complete without thriving plants. The Niello Freshwater Plant Growth Light is one of the best aquarium lights for plants that we found in our research. The full spectrum LED lighting provides lots of light to help freshwater plants live long and prosper! A single Niello light works well for up to your average ten-gallon tank. The 18 LEDs include eight royal blue at 460nm, four white at 14,000 K, two white at 6,500 K, two violet at 420nm, one red at 630nm, and one cyan at 520nm. The optics are designed to cover 120 degrees for full coverage of your tank.The grow light casts a bluish tone due to the white LEDs on the Kelvin scale, but it’s the other LEDs that really “feed” your plants! Red plants may especially benefit from this light since they use more blue light than green plants.
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About the Author

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Jennifer Trimbee

Expert Researcher and Writer

Jennifer Trimbee, a lead researcher and writer at GeekWrapped, is an expert writer with many years of experience. Jennifer writes about technology, sports, outdoor, and gear products.

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Article last updated on:

September 30, 2019

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TOP PICK

Galaxyhydro Aquarium Light

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