Lighting

Light drives everything in a planted tank — growth rate, red coloration, and how compact a carpet stays. It also drives algae if you get the balance wrong.

Full-spectrum and RGB LED fixtures, nano clip-ons, hanging kits, light shades and controllers from the brands we actually run on our own display tanks.

Starting point: 6–8 hours a day for a low-tech tank; push to 8 hours with CO2 and ferts before you increase intensity.