Aquarium lighting can be a tricky business. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran, or this is your first tank—it can be a daunting task.
If you’re doing a planted tank, it gets even more challenging.
Trust me, I went through the same struggles trying to figure out what the best lighting for my aquarium, and it was a headache, so I want to share my discoveries with you guys.
So, here are 3 of the best aquarium light for beginners:
Finnex is without a doubt the best-in-class for planted tank lighting when it comes to planted tanks.
They’re reliable, tough, and—most importantly—insanely cheap, considering their quality.
Finnex Ray2 Aquarium LED Daylight
The Ray2 has a dual-light output of 7000K. This makes it the perfect fit for even the most demanding aquarium plants. (Even Dwarf Hairgrass!)
For beginners, this light is simple to master, and will provide great lighting for your setup. If you’re looking for a light, it doesn’t get better than this one. I have three already. (And will probably get another, if I can convince my wife!)
You can grab one for under $100 here, and it comes with free shipping:
Finnex FugeRay Planted+: Aquarium Light and Moonlights
These lights are catered towards the low-tech tank, with a little lesser strength than the Ray2 we covered above. If you’re injecting CO2 and dosing your tank, this high-class, sleek look fits perfectly with your other equipment.
If you’ve previously used flouroescent lights, you’ll be shocked at how much brighter and more vivid your tank will look with these things—it’s ridiculous.
LED lights like this are what gives that ‘extra pop’ to those professional setups like TheGreenMachine and others.
If you’re looking for vivid, bright colors, and you’re after a Planted Tank, try these for some great low-tech results. You can get them from Amazon here:
We think you may be interested in: Best LED Aquarium Lighting
Marineland Aquatic Plant LED Light With Timer
Pictures of this light don’t do it justice. It looks like something from the 90’s, but it has GREAT results. The built-in timer makes it even easier for aquarium light beginners to master, and they’re very forgiving when it comes to growing plants.
These marineland lights have both lunar and daytime bulbs, and are perfect for beginners that are looking for a reliable lighting setup for their Planted Tank.
They come in multiple sizes, and they’re pretty solidly built, ranging from 18 inches all the way to 60 inches.
You can grab a set with the timer here:
1 thought on “The Best Aquarium Light For Beginners”
Very nice input. I may have to look in to Finnex now. I use a Buildmyled and it’s been very good to me. Whatever you do, don’t but the TMC AquaRAY. The first one flickered. After returning it. The replacement AquaRAY nearly burned my house down and caught on fire. Never again! Seems to be a common issue online. Glad to see there are some good options out there.