Planted aquarium equipment
Equipment is where planted-tank budgets escalate fastest, and where the manufacturer copy is worst. A "100-gallon-rated" filter typically does 60. A "planted-tank" LED at $40 is usually a white-light strip rebadged. A "first-time CO2 kit" without a proper diffuser is a leak waiting to happen. This silo organises the gear — light, filter, heater, CO2, algae management — by what actually matters for your tank.
The good news: planted-tank gear is now better and cheaper than it has ever been. A mid-priced LED in 2026 grows plants that high-end fixtures from 2015 could not match. A mid-tier canister filter outperforms premium models of the same era. Get the spec right and a $150 light or a $200 filter buys you the rest of the decade.
How to size your equipment
The gear list scales with two things: tank size and CO2 or no CO2.
Light
- 10–20 gallon, low-tech — A 20–30W planted-tank LED with adjustable spectrum. ~$80–150.
- 20–29 gallon, high-tech — A 30–50W planted-tank LED with dimmer or app control. ~$150–300.
- 55+ gallon — Either a long-form fixture or two units side-by-side. ~$250–500+.
Spec to look for: PAR at substrate depth (not at the surface), planted-tank-targeted spectrum, and a dimmer or an app. Read the best LED light for a planted tank comparison for the head-to-head.
Filter
- 10–20 gallon — A hang-on-back rated 30–50 gallon, or a sponge filter for shrimp tanks. ~$30–80.
- 29 gallon — A larger HOB or an entry canister rated 75 gallon. ~$80–150.
- 55+ gallon — A canister rated 100+ gallons, mandatory for high-tech. ~$150–350.
Aim for four to six times tank turnover per hour on low-tech, six to ten on high-tech. Read the listing's gallons-per-hour, not the "rated for X gallons" line — the latter is marketing.
Heater
Five watts per gallon as a rule. Pick a thermostatic heater from a known brand (Tetra, Eheim Jager, Fluval, Cobalt). Don't fuss over titanium-vs-glass at this scale — both work; the brand reputation matters more than the material.
CO2 (high-tech only)
A pressurised CO2 kit is roughly $200–350 for a starter setup: 5 lb cylinder, dual-stage regulator, solenoid, bubble counter, diffuser, and drop checker. Yi-Tong, FZONE and CO2Art come up most in hobbyist discussions for entry-level setups. Skip "DIY yeast CO2" — it is unstable and stalls within hours of the photoperiod ending.
Algae management
Algae is usually a light-versus-nutrient mismatch, not a product problem. The buyer's side: UV sterilisers help with green-water blooms, algae eaters (otocinclus, amano shrimp, nerite snails) help with grazing, and hydrogen-peroxide spot-treatment helps with black brush algae. None of those fix the cause — cut the photoperiod, plant heavier, and dose all- in-one fertiliser weekly.
Featured guides
The current published guides in this silo. More land each batch.
Landing next: Best CO2 system for a planted tank, Aquarium driftwood, Black brush algae treatment, and Best canister filter for a planted aquarium.
What matters in planted-tank equipment
The spec checklist worth running before any equipment purchase.
Light — PAR, not wattage
Two LEDs of the same wattage can deliver wildly different PAR at the substrate. PAR is the photosynthetically active radiation that plants actually photosynthesise from. Lights worth buying publish PAR data at common tank depths (12, 18, 24 inches). Lights worth skipping list only lumens and Kelvin. Read the LED comparison guide for the brand-by-brand breakdown.
Filter — flow rate and media volume
The gallons-per-hour (GPH) rating matters more than the "X-gallon rated" copy. Aim for the 4-to-6× turnover on low-tech, 6-to-10× on high-tech. Media volume matters at scale: a canister with 4 litres of media supports a heavier bioload than a hang-on-back with 0.5 litres of cartridge.
Heater — accurate dial, external controller optional
A thermostatic heater holds temperature within ±1°F of the dial. Anything more than ±2°F is a problem. External controllers (Inkbird, Ranco, Eheim Plus) override a heater's internal thermostat and add a safety layer — worth the $30 once you have invested in fish that cost more.
CO2 — drop checker and bubble counter, not eyeballing
A drop checker gives a visual readout of CO2 ppm: blue (too low), green (target 30 ppm), yellow (too high — risk of fish gasping). A bubble counter lets you set a stable injection rate. Neither is optional once you go pressurised.
What we don't recommend
White-LED "aquarium lights" without spectrum data
Anything labelled "aquarium light" or "fish tank light" that does not publish a spectrum chart or PAR figures. They usually run heavy on white and red, light on blue, and grow algae faster than plants. Spend the same money on a planted-tank-specific LED.
DIY yeast CO2
Cheap, unstable, and the production rate falls off as soon as the lights go out — which is the opposite of what plants need. Skip to pressurised the day you commit to high-tech.
"All-in-one" UV-light sterilisers as algae fix
A UV steriliser kills free-floating algae (green water) only. It does nothing to glass algae, hair algae, black brush, or staghorn. Diagnose the algae type before reaching for a UV. Most of the time the fix is a photoperiod and dosing change, not a $90 device.
Cheap unbranded heaters
The $15 unbranded heaters that ship without a warranty. They are how tanks cook overnight or freeze in winter. Pay the extra $20 for a known brand and a real warranty.