High-End Light Guide

Want your reds to pop? Want your plants to grow thick and lush? Lights are a huge part of achieving such a result. This post will outline most high-end lights on the market with as many details as I can gather for you to make an educated choice on your next light. Understand that many of these light specs are illustrations from manufacturers and retail sellers. I will also outline my experience with the coloration and intensity these lights provided, along with price and availability. For a fair comparison, I will compare every light based on a 60-cm or 24-inch light.

High-End lights tend to offer an aesthetic unparalleled to to others. Their sleek streamline designs add a different perspective to rimless tanks and for your display tank may be the thing that takes a once nice looking tank to an eye popping statement.

Aqua Illumination Blade Freshwater $190 ( https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/blade-smart-led-strip-freshwater-aqua-illumination.html )

• The newest high-end light on the market, this light was originally designed for saltwater tanks to replace T5 bulbs. The blade follows the design of your typical of a flat bar led.

• The AI Blade offers little detail on its exact specs however, what I could find is as follows.

  • 24 leds per cluster therefore, 48 leds broken down as follows

    • 32 cool white

    • 8 warm white

    • 4 red

    • 4 blue

  • This light is sure to provide great power but not necessarily great contrast. Without any greens and a small amount of reds the deep red plants will lack their richness.

  • 48 watts

    • This power is defninltly on the lesser side of the other that will follow, however, this may be a great entry level to getting a strong par level to the bottom of that display tank.

  • Pros

    • Great interface, AI has multiple platforms for app manipulation and offers seamless control

    • Sleek low profile

  • Cons

    • Less spectrum, focuses on whites which provide great par

    • Less spread, due to its mounting it won’t have a large area of coverage and may result in needing multiple lights

AI Blade Freshwater

Week Aqua P600 Pro $200 (https://aquarockscolorado.com/products/week-aqua-pandora-series)

• I consider the Week Aqua the Black Box of High-End lights. A light that performs with the intensity of some of these most expensive yet is offered at a low price. I personally own the p900 and am in early testing of it.

• Specs

  • 110 LED’s 10 of which are UV (an option not offered by many others)

  • 90 watts

  • 9k-12k Kelvin

  • 5400 lumens

• This light is bluetooth enabled with its own app. The app offers full control and preset options.

• Furthermore, through my testing it contrasts a nice rich red color when prioritizing reds.

• Pros

  • Spectacular intensity for its price.

  • Great control

  • UV power

• Cons

  • Bulky, this light is on the large size

  • App is a little more difficult to navigate and control

• Overall this light is wonderful, and widely avilible through several vendors.

Week Aqua P600 Pro

LEDSTAR AQ Z $220 (https://bloomtanks.com/products/ledstar-aq-z-series-rgb-w-led-light-with-app-control-3-sizes)

• LEDSTAR is first on the list with a sleek design. Again a great priced high power LED.

• Specs

  • 112 LED’s, 80 white, 32 RGB

  • 72 Watt

  • 9k-11k Kelvin

  • 5000 lumens

• This light is bluetooth enabled with its own app. The app offers full control and preset options.

• The distributors of LEDSTAR offer great contrast into the wavelength spectrum/ Par Graph

• Pros

  • Great Price for its power rating

  • Sleek design

• Cons

  • Limited available vendors

  • Less spread

• Understand I haven’t personally tested this light, however, check out Tanktastic’s review of the tank on YouTube where he does an unboxing and Pars the light. (https://youtu.be/EuWPAImxCGc)

LEDSTAR AQ Z

Twin Star 600SP $230 (https://buceplant.com/products/twinstar-led-sp-model-1)

• Another great sleek design, twin star is known for its wonderful color.

• Specs

  • 156 LED’s 126 RGB, 14 White

  • 52 Watt

  • 6500 Kelvin

  • 3250 lumens

• This light doesn’t offer Bluetooth like some of it’s competitors rather is a plug and play. (simpler for some)

• This is one of the more widely available lights offered by several companies in a large degree of series. (Understand this is their highest model)

• Pros

  • Sleek Design

  • Wonderful for red plant contrast

• Cons

  • Due to its high number of RGB leds it doesn’t contrast green well

  • None controllable

• Understand I haven’t personally tested this light, however, check out JJ Aquariums review of the light on YouTube where he does an unboxing and showcases the light. (absolutely beautiful tank he has) https://youtu.be/vcpG-KH4PtQ

Twin Star 600SP

Chihiros WRGB II $250-300 (https://aquarockscolorado.com/products/chihiros-wrgb-ii-pro?variant=42266625802488)

• One of the most widely reviewed High-End lights, Chihiros WRGB II is proven and true to its specs. A lot of companies have focused on surpassing its performance while trying to beat its price.

• Specs

  • 60 LED’s

  • 67 Watt

  • 3k-13k Kelvin

  • 4500 Lumens

• This light is bluetooth enabled with its own app. The app offers full control and preset options with great manipulation.

• The WRGB II has one of the widest spreads, allowing to cover a wider tank like my 75 gallon aqueon.

• This light is probably the most widely available light, offering a lot of competition for pricing.

• It also has a built in diffusor which does cause for a lesser par but better spread.

• Pros

  • Tried and true

  • Great build design, Sturdy

  • Nice app

• Cons

  • Its become a bit outpriced

• This was my first High-End light, and it diffidently hasn’t disappointed. Even on my 75 gallon I still haven’t ramped it up all the way. There’re countless videos on YouTube, however, I will link some comparison videos as I believe those show what your really wanting to know. TankTastic https://youtu.be/j5-IFxVfZqE MD Fish Tanks moving from low tech to high tech https://youtu.be/upvBCOXa9EA

Chihiros WRGB II

ONF Flat ONE $400 (https://buceplant.com/products/onf-flat-one-led-light-blue-white?)

• The ONF Flat ONE is probably one of the most atractive light on the market. TankTastic says it well in his review, it reminicent of a MAC book. Sleek, well polished, and wide.

• Specs

  • 120 LEDs

  • 70 watts

  • 3500 Lumens

  • 3-6k kelvin

• This light is bluetooth enabled with its own app. The app offers full control and preset options with great manipulation.

• Similar to the WRGB II it has a very wide spread. (5 1/4)

• An additional perk is the quick tap control on the top.

• It also has a built in diffusor which does cause for a lesser par but better spread.

• It is also widely available through several distributors.

• Pros

  • Sleek design

  • Great Control

• Cons

  • A bit overpriced for its performance.

  • Less par

• For a lower tech display tank this makes for a beautiful display due to both its design and coloration.

ONF Flat ONE

Kessil a360x Sun $440 (https://a.co/d/bEgjsei)

• The Kessil Sun is a light I have more recently fallen in love with, not due to it power, output, or pricing. Rather the unique shimmer it adds to the aquarium.

• Kessil’s lights provide the best simmer in the market. No other light gives the unique look to the tank like this light does.

• In addition to its unique lighting it is the smallest and lowest profile light on the list.

• Specs

  • 46 Leds

  • 90 watts

  • 6k-9k Lummens

  • kelvin?

• The a360x provides a 130 degree spread while only being the size of a hockey puck at twice the thickness.

• Pros

  • Unmatchable shimmer

  • Great attachments to modify use for various aquariums and applications

  • Small size

• Cons

  • High Price for output

  • Not wifi capable out of box (The Kessil a360x requires either a kessil controller or Kessil wifi dongle to minipulate its spectrum)

• The Kessil a360x Sun is a spectacular light if your looking to make a statement with your show tank. It will be sure to draw attention.

Kessil a360x Sun

Chihiros Vivid II $450 (https://aquarockscolorado.com/products/chihiros-rgb-vivid-ii-10th-edition)

• When you think of a high-end freshwater light this is what comes to mind. Great build quality, wonderful app, and tried and true design.

• Specs

  • 160 Leds

  • 130 watts

  • 12200 Lumens

  • kelvin?

• Same great bluetooth platform as the WRGB II

• Widest spread of light at 6 inches

• It also has a built in diffusor which does cause for a lesser par but better spread.

• Pros

  • Extremley powerful, will grow anything you want within its spread.

  • Great Control

• Cons

  • Shorter length, unlike others for the price it will cover the length of the tank with a single light

  • Bulky, it is a thick large light and doesn’t present a streamline look like its competitors.

• This is the light you go to when you when you want to grow the highest end plants and present them the best way.

• Check these YouTube reviews out to better get a picture of what this light enables. UK aquascaper George Farmer https://youtu.be/SXZ7LUPIFAk Tanktastic’s comparison video https://youtu.be/2m3oZ6p145Q

Chihiros Vivid II

Radion G6 XR15 Freshwater $500 (https://aquariumsupplyonline.com/shop-aquarium-supplies-online/radion-xr15-g6-freshwater-led-light-fixture-ecotech-marine/)

• This light comes from the tried and true line of some of the best Saltwater lights in the hobby. The design, app control, and build and wonderful.

• Specs

  • 48 leds

    • 12x Warm White

    • 24x Cool White

    • 3x Photo Red

    • 3x Green

    • 2x Blue

    • 2x Lime

    • 1x Moonlight White

    • 1x Moonlight Blue

  • 90 watts

  • lumens?

  • Kelvin?

• This light has one of the best app options of any other light on the list. There’re two different apps this can be manipulated and controlled on.

• You are likely to find this light in your local store being it US sourced and many stores carry its saltwater version. If not having it on hand they will have ease ordering it for you.

• Pros

  • Great build quality, coming from saltwater you have to expect a quality unlike many others

  • Great Par, with so many whites it will penetrate to the bottom and grow those carpets.

• Cons

  • Color, similarly to AI its has limited RGB leds, therefore, limiting the pop on red plants

  • Spread, this has to be mounted high to create the spread of its competitors because it is a short stubby light.

• There’s a lot still to be found about the light. Unlike its saltwater version testing is limited because it tends to get shadowed by its Chinese aqua scaping light competitors.

• The only YouTube video I could locate on this light is from Ecotech itself. https://youtu.be/fuEaDrcsYCs However, my friend Hector has 4 himself and I will further look into it and may create a true review of it myself.

Radion XR15 G6 Freshwater

ADA Solar $850+ (https://aquaforestaquarium.com/products/solar-rgb-led-lighting-system)

• The ADA Solar is known as the penicel of High-End freshwater lights. It provides the greatest power and best light spectrum. However, it also comes with the price.

• Specs

  • 160 leds

  • 130 watts

  • 3500 lumens

  • kelvin?

• This light does not offer bluetooth control, rather the manufacture states that the way it comes is the best. Therefore, catering to expert level aqua scapers.

• The build quality is top tear, its made from the best parts available.

• American availability is limited through very few vendor in the US.

• Pros

  • Spectacular Spectrum

  • Extreme Power

• Cons

  • Price, with the build quality this light doesn’t come cheap

  • Controllability, being its plug and play, there’s no room for flexing your own look. (not that you need to with this light)

• JJ Aquariums does a wonderful job at reviewing the ADA Solar, so check him out and see if it fits what your trying to do. https://youtu.be/WZfGmOQoNQ0

ADA Solar

I will be looking into a few other light soon to include kessil.

I am open to listening and revising my statements on these lights based on people that have or had experience with them personally.