Shedding Some Light on Planted Aquarium Lighting

Two versions of the same 24" ONF Flat One Pendant Lights over a 120P aquarium

A low light simple 2 gallon cube aquarium with a nano light

A 9 gallon aquarium with two light fixtures to grow much more demanding Rotala H'Ra
Aquarium LED Lighting Overview
Lighting | Nutrients | CO2 |
---|---|---|
LOW | LOW Provided solely by nutrient-rich aquasoil or root tabs |
Not required Plants may rely on natural CO2 produced by livestock or via a simple CO2 kit |
MODERATE | MODERATE Use about half of the recommended liquid fertilizer dose. Aquarium plant soil is highly recommended. |
Recommended CO2 should be used, but can be introduced slowly and adjusted based on plant growth. Use a drop checker to monitor levels. |
HIGH | HIGH Full liquid plant fertilizer dosage is needed. Aquarium plant soil is required. |
Required Providing it from the start and dialing in proper levels will help prevent algae from appearing. |

So many lights, so many model numbers—how do I even choose?

Twinstar 200C on an Ultum Nature Systems 20C cube aquarium

Twinstar 450E on an Ultum Nature Systems 45T tall aquarium

Two 24" (60CM) ONF Flat One Pendant Lights on an ADA 120P standard aquarium