36 Inch Aquarium Lights
36 inch aquarium lights are perfect for 30 gallon tanks. These tanks are 36 inches long and 12 inches wide. It is also possible to use a 30 inch aquarium light for a 40 gallon (standard) fish tank as well as a 50 gallon aquarium. Just bear in mind that the light will be more spread out in these larger tanks.
Aquarium lights are a great addition to any fish tank. 36 inch aquarium lights help to illuminate the inhabitants of the tank, making them visible and showcasing many of the bright colors of the fish. In addition, proper aquarium lighting provides vital light to photosynthetic plants and even coral in your aquarium.
The choice of lighting is dependent on a range of factors. It is important to balance your plant’s requirement for light, with the visual display desired and importantly also mirror the natural environment of your fish as closely as possible.
There are a range of 36 inch aquarium lights available on the market today. These vary in quality, type and functionality. To help you narrow down your search we have highlighted our favorite pieces for your consideration:
36 Inch Aquarium Lights – Reviews
CURRENT Orbit Marine IC Pro with Bluetooth 24-36 Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4.5/5
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The Current Orbit Marine IC Pro with Bluetooth range is perhaps the pinnacle of aquarium lights. This particular version is usable on aquariums from 24 inches to 36 inches in length.
The aquarium comes with a huge range of customization for those aquarists who will only accept the best. It comes in a sleek design, with functionality which includes:
- 2 Orbit Marine IC LED Light Fixtures
- Temperature Sensor
- 1 LOOP wireless light and pump controller with Bluetooth
- 4 adjustable docking mounts
The color spectrum has been enhanced to help ensure that your corals and fish look at their best. The system runs at 54 Watts. It has 96 LEDs in total:
- 24 445 Nm Blue LEDs
- 24 460 Nm Blue LEDs
- 18 6700K White LEDs
- 18 10000K White LEDs
Current USA Orbit Marine Aquarium LED Light, 24 to 36 Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4.5/5
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The Current USA Orbit Marine Aquarium LED Light is a top of the range product. This particular version is usable on aquariums from 24 inches to 36 inches in length.
The aquarium light comes with a huge range of customization for those aquarists who will only accept the best. It comes in a sleek design, with functionality which includes:
- 6 different weather effects, including electrical storms!
- 24 hour lighting cycle, mimicking the different stages of natural daylight including sunrise, full daylight, sunset and moonlight
- Wireless remote control, allowing you to control both the 24 inch aquarium lights and up to 3 wave pumps should you wish to add them to your LOOP system
The color spectrum has been enhanced to help ensure that your corals and fish look at their best. The system runs at 27 Watts and used a 12V power supply. It has 104 LEDs in total:
- 25 6500K white LEDs
- 25 445NM blue LEDs
- 24 460NM blue LEDs
- 17 8000K white LEDs
- 13 RGB LEDs
If you’d prefer a slightly larger option for your 36 inch tank, you could also consider the larger, 36-48 inch version of the same model.
Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Light for Aquarium, 24 to 36-Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4.5/5
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The Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED 24-36 inch aquarium light is similar in many ways to the LED Plus version. It is adjustable and suitable for freshwater aquariums up to 36 inches in length.
It has a sleek design, with functionality that includes:
- 3 fade modes for cloud cover effects
- On/Off/Dimming of white and blue LEDs together or independently
- 2 lunar light modes
- 2 storm modes with lightning and cloud cover effects
- Dusk mode for evening viewing
The system runs at 10 Watts and used a 12V power supply. It has 90 LEDs in total:
- 66 white LEDs
- 24 blue LEDs
If you’d prefer a slightly bigger option for your 36 inch tank, you could also consider the larger, 36-48 inch version of the same model.
Finnex Planted+ 24/7 HLC Aquarium LED Light, 36 Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4/5
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The Finnex planted+ 24/7 HLC LED 36 inch aquarium light has a 24/7 mode as you would expect. This is fully customizable and includes sunrise & sunset. The HLC range includes 4 different types of light, with 128 LEDs in total:
- 8000K Daylight
- Red
- Green
- Blue
This 36 inch aquarium light version also includes:
- Remote control and built in sensor
- Customization of lighting cycle over 24 hour period
- 120° optic angle to increase coverage and dissipate heat
Finnex Planted+ 24/7 CRV Aquarium LED Light, 36 inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4.5/5
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The Finnex planted+ 24/7 CRV LED 36 inch aquarium light has a 24/7 mode as you would expect. This is fully customizable and includes sunrise & sunset. The CRV range includes True 660nm deep red LEDs. This spectrum maximizes photosynthesis – perfect for your planted aquarium!
This 36 inch aquarium light version also includes:
- 4 customizable memory slots
- 4 different weather modes including sunset and thunderstrom
- Built in LED sensor and remote control
Finnex Planted+ 24/7 LED KLC Aquarium LED Light, 36 Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4/5
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The Finnex Planted+ 24/7 KLC, 36 inch Aquarium LED Light has a 24/7 feature. This transitions the color schemes from a warm sunrise, to full daylight, then to a peaceful sunset finally to a starry moonlight. It is also possible to have either sunrise and sunset light on top of the aquarium! And to save in-tank lighting to go along with the light display.
This 36 inch aquarium light version includes:
- 4 customizable color schemes
- Weather modes
- Built in LED sensor and wireless remote control
The system runs at 36 Watts and has 108 LEDs in total:
- 72 7K white LEDs
- 36 RGB LEDs
Although Finnex have added a moisture resistant LED coating, the light itself is not fully waterproof. Then again, most aquarium lights are not waterproof!
If you can’t quite figure out which Finnex Planted+ 24/7 series you are looking for, we’ve created a guide to help you figure out which one is best for you!
Finnex Stingray 2 Aquarium LED Light, 36 Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4/5
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The Finnex FL-36 Stingray 2 36 inch Aquarium LED Light is really good at what it does. It is far from the most expensive 48 inch aquarium light on the market. And it is not as customizable as the higher quality Current models. But delivers on what it promises. It is moisture resistant and is set up with:
- 72 8500K White LEDs
- 12 460 Nm Blue LEDs
- 12 620 Nm Red LEDs
The light has 3 modes:
- Max
- Moonlight
- Off
As mentioned, it is not the most customizable 48 inch aquarium light on the market, but for those looking for a value choice it is a viable option. And it (version 2) is significantly better than the original Stingray.
Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus Light for Aquarium, 36 to 48-Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4/5
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If you have a freshwater tank, the Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus 36 inch aquarium light is worth considering. It is adjustable and suitable for freshwater aquariums up to 48 inches in length.
It has a sleek design, with functionality that includes:
- 6 preset color groups
- 12 dynamic effects including lightning and dusk
- The ability to save up to 4 more custom color ranges
- 32 key, customizable wireless remote control
The system runs at 25 Watts and used a 12V power supply. It has 144 LEDs in total:
- 72 6500K white LEDs
- 36 RGB LEDs
Plant Spectrum Fluval Bluetooth Freshwater Light LED 36-48 Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4.5/5
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The Fluval Bluetooth 36 inch aquarium light can be extended to be used on aquariums up to 48 inches in length. It is possible to program the lights and how they behave over a 24 hour cycle. This includes sunrise and sunset as well as daytime and nighttime. Interestingly there are also some preset habitat configurations such as “Tropical” and even Lake Malawi. This particular Fluval light draws 46 Watts.
Beamswork DA 6500K 0.50W Series LED Pent Aquarium Light Freshwater Plant Discus – 36 Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4/5
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This Beamswork 36 Inch Aquarium Light lacks the functionality of many of its rival lights. It does, however, do what it sets out to do and at a reasonable price. There are 100 LEDs, each putting out 0.5 Watts. It is set up in the following configuration:
- 84 x 6500K White LEDs
- 16 x Actinic LEDs
It is possible to set it such that all lights are on, or only the 16 Actinic lights are on. Although not included, the light is set up to add an optional timer to your lighting system.
Koval 36 Inch Aquarium Light Hood with Extendable Brackets
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4/5
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The Koval 36 Inch Aquarium Light Hood has extendable brackets making it suitable for aquariums up to 43 inches in length. The 5 color range will help your plants to growth and ensure that your other aquarium inhabitants and looking at their best. There are 129 LEDs in total:
- 110 x 8000 K white LEDS
- 9 x 460 Nm Blue LEDs
- 4 x 465 Nm Pink LEDs
- 4 x 625 Red LEDs
- 2 x 500 Nm Green LEDs
This Koval 36 inch aquarium light is not as customizible option on the market. It does, however, have 3 different modes:
- All LEDs on
- Only Blue LEDs on
- All LEDs off
NICREW LED Aquarium Light – 30 to 36 Inch
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 5/5
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This 30 to 36 Inch LED Aquarium Light by NICREW is great. The light is bright but is also energy efficient. The light fixture itself is approximately 28.5 inches by 4 inches. It has adjustable metal brackets to help you fit it on an aquarium with length ranging from 30 inches to 36 inches. So if you ever decide to move from you 30 gallon tank, it will also fit onto a 29, 40 or even 50 gallon tank!
The aquarium light has two modes:
- White and Blue LEDs for daytime
- Blue LEDs for nighttime
Overall, we love this product. It is simple, efficient and provides great value for money.
Hygger 30-36 Inch Aquarium Light
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 5/5
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Hygger’s 30-36 inch, full spectrum, aquarium light is a brilliant product. The light itself is 28.5 inches long and 3.2 inches wide. It comes with adjustable brackets that allow you use the light on tanks from 30 inches to 36 inches in length. This works perfectly on your 30 gallon tank. It will also work on 20 gallon (long), 29, 40, 50 and 65 gallon tanks too!
This Hygger aquarium light comes with 60 LEDs:
- 42 white LEDs
- 12 blue LEDs
- 6 red LEDs
These LEDs are incredibly illuminating and help to showcase the colors in your aquarium. Importantly, they also:
- Can be easily changed between colors, offering you different views of your aquarium.
- Can be adjusted for brightness. From 100% all the way down to 10%. This allows you to adjust depending on your plants and the natural environment of your fish.
In contrast to some other aquarium lights, Hygger also focus on longevity. Their high quality LED lights can last up to 20,000 hours of use. In addition they offer a 1 year warranty for the light itself.
It is safe to say that the Hygger 30-36 inch aquarium light exceeds even the loftiest of expectations.
Note: this 30-36 inch aquarium light is not suitable for saltwater aquariums. Use in freshwater fish tanks only.
Aquaneat 36-44 Inch Aquarium Light
A Little Bit Fishy Score: 4/5
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The 36 Inch LED Aquarium Light by Aquaneat is a mixed bag. We like the fact that it provides a range of LEDS. There are 84 in total:
- 61, 6500K white LEDs
- 11, blue LEDs
- 6 pink LEDs
- 6 green LEDs
From a display perspective this is great as it helps to accentuate the range of colors present in your tank.
The aquarium light itself is approximately 34 inches by 3 inches. It comes adjustable brackets allowing you to attach it onto an aquarium with length ranging from 36 inches to 44 inches. Although flexibility at times can be great, there aren’t many tanks on the market that are 37-44 inches in length!
Although there are some upsides to this product, we feel there are two main detractors:
- There is no night mode. The lights either need to be turned on or turned off. While this may be acceptable for many people, we feel the night mode assists with aesthetics and with ensuring that your fish are not subjected to bright light all of the time.
- Some users have reported reliability issues. Either through having blinking lights, or the lights breaking altogether
If you need something a little bigger you could always consider a 48 inch aquarium light.
36 Inch Aquarium Lights – Conclusion
Hopefully our review gave you a good idea as to the best options for 36 inch aquarium lights on the market today. All the best for finding the perfect 36 inch aquarium light for your tank!