Best 48 Inch Led Lights For 55-Gallon Aquariums

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For a 55 gallon fish tank, which commonly measures 48 inches in the length, a 48-inch LED aquarium light is perfectly fit for the tank. When choosing a lighting system for your fish tank, keep in mind duplicating the natural conditions of your fish. It is important to understand that the health of aquatic life in your aquarium is related to the quality of the light you use. Correct spectrums and intensities of light should be provided to ensure the healthy growth of your fish, plants, and corals.

Below are some of the best aquarium LED lights for different fish tank types you should consider for your aquarium.

top Led Lights Choices

Solid Led - High Quality
  • Super bright, energy efficient and long lasting LEDs to produce amazing shimmer to your aquarium
  • This product is recommended for use over panel or glass-covered aquariums
  • so much nicer than the florescent lights 
Great Colors And Light Weight - Best Choice
  • High-quality LEDs, can be used at least 50000 hrs
  • High efficiency, low energy dissipation, save cost, extend LEDs life span
  • Bright LEDs with 5 colors, full spectrum LEDs and makes phycophyta vivid
Big And Beautiful - Editor's Choice
  • It melts algae and grows plants at the same time
  • Super low profile, slim, bright, and no heat
  • Suitable for freshwater, plants, cichlid
Super Bright Light - Highly Recommended
  • Excellent quality and great color
  • The fish’s color really stands out under this lumen count
  • automatically switch the light between its day mode and night mode
Creative Lighting - Best Choice
  • realistic effects
  • multiple modes and Easy installation
  • add excitement and intrigue to any aquarium.
Absolutely Stunning - Best Value
  • True customizable sunrise & Sunset effect W/ Controller
  •  Great Looking Light, Thin, modern, and functional. Output is impressive.
  • The controls are very easy to use and understand
Incredible Color - High Quality
  • Ultimate Color Enhancing Output
  • t really brings out the red in the tanks
  • designed with aluminum enclosure that protects its inner components
Incredibly Bright - Best Value
  • make tank look a bit more 3D
  • rings out more warm natural colors 
  • gives fantastic realistic sunlight appearance
Excellent Lightning - Highly Recommended
  • multiple modes and easy installation
  • realistic effects
  • brighter and more colors

Highlights

  • LEDs: 180 LEDs (150 white + 30 blue), 32W
  • Modes: blue, blue plus white
  • Ideal for: freshwater or saltwater fish tank
  • Extendable brackets: 46 – 54 inches
  • In the box: an LED aquarium light, two extendable brackets, an adapter, a user manual.

Nicrew LED light is an affordable lighting system you should consider if having a fish-only tank. With total 180 LEDs including 150 white and 30 blue, the light provides a very bright daylight that really brings out the colors of your aquarium inhabitants. It comes with a 3-position switch for 3 different modes: all LEDs on, only Blue LEDs on, all LEDs off, which respectively provide daylight, nightlight, and off.

The white LEDs combined with the blue LEDs provide bright white light during the daytime while only the blue LEDs provide moonlight at night. This ensures your aquarium is supplied with appropriate lighting at day and night thus ensuring the quality life of your fish is maintained all through.

Pro Tip


The fixture comes with two adjustable metal brackets which will fit onto your 55 gallon fish tank properly. Since this LED light is energy efficient and long lasting, it will serve you for a long period without the need of changing the LED bulbs.

Highlights

  • LEDs: 132 White 8000K, 12 Blue 460nm, 4 Green 500nm LEDs, 4 Pink 465nm, 4 Red 625nm,  (156 total)
  • Modes: white daylight (all LEDs on), blue moon light (only Blue LEDs on), and off
  • Extendable brackets: 45-50″
  • Ideal for: a 55 gallon aquarium with fish and some low light plants.

The Koval LED aquarium light is perfect in lighting an aquarium considering it has 156 bright LEDs with five colors. It is able to provide a full color spectrum for the vivid growth of your plants and the stunning view from your tank. The light has three optional control modes – all LEDs on, only Blue LEDs on, and finally all LEDs off, which respectively offer daylight, moonlight, and off setting. You can switch between these modes by using a three-position switch on the fixture.

Pro Tip


This high-quality LED light is designed to be high-efficient, cost-saving and lifespan-extending. When one of its LEDs stops to work, the others will not be affected and will continue lighting. By its quality features, it can last at least 50000 hours of use. It is ideal to use this LED light on a tank with fish and some low light plants to care for. Its extendable brackets will enable it to fit in fish tanks with different sizes, especially for 55-75 gallon fish tanks.

Highlights

  • LEDs: 37 White 10000K, 9 Actinic 460nm, 4 Red 620nm, 4 Green 520nm – total 54 LEDs, 2500 lumens
  • Modes: 2 modes – day and night
  • Size: 48 inches – 120cm
  • Ideal for: freshwater, cichlid, low light level plants.

The Beamswork EA Timer is another LED aquarium light that you should consider for your fish tank. Being pre-installed with 37 10000K, 9 Actinic 460nm, 4 Red 620nm, 4 Green 520nm LEDs, the light is ideal for a cichlid fish tank with some low light level plants. Its total 54 high-quality LEDs will help provide additional lumen output for the vivid growth of your plants as well as the better coloration of your fish.

Pro Tip


This aquarium light has only two modes – day and night; however, it is pre-wired to be used with a timer from Beamswork (sold separately) for an automatic lighting cycle. It is designed to be used for a long period before it is replaced. It comes with two brackets that are extendable to perfectly fit onto different fish tank lengths around 48 inches.

Highlights

  • LEDs: 104 White 10000K, 16 Actinic 460nm – total 120 LEDs, 6000 lumens
  • Modes: 2 modes – day and night
  • Size: 48 inches – 120cm
  • Ideal for: 55 gallon cichlid fish tanks.

This LED light features a configuration of 104 white LEDs 10000K and 16 Actinic LEDs 460nm offering two lighting modes – all LEDs on for daytime and only Actinic LEDs on for nighttime. Its daytime light color mimics that of the natural living conditions of cichlid fish under rivers making the light an ideal choice for cichlid tanks.

Pro Tip


Like other LED lights from Beamswork, the fixture is also pre-wired to work with an extra Beamswork timer (sold separately). I strongly recommend you to use the Beamswork timer with the light. It helps you to automatically switch the light between its day mode and night mode according to your set cycle without the need of manual control.

Highlights

  • LEDs: 96 White 6500K and 48 RGB LEDs
  • Modes: 6 preset colors for various freshwater tank types (community, cichlid, Betta, planted, goldfish, shrimp…) 4 memory slots for saving your own lighting colors, 12 dynamic modes
  • Ideal for: most freshwater fish tanks, low-medium light plants
  • Extendable brackets: 48-60″.

The Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus is one of the best LED lights for fish tank on the market today simply because of the amazing features it possesses. It is fitted with super bright 6500K white LEDs and full spectrum RGB LEDs. The intensities of these LEDs are customizable independently to offer countless lighting colors you can see in nature.

The product comes with a 32-key customizable wireless remote. The remote comprises of six optimized color presets, four memory buttons suitable for saving your own custom colors, 12 dynamic effects and presets which comprise fading lunar, storm, cloud cover and much more. The six optimized color presets are pre-established and optimized for different types of freshwater fish tanks including community, planted, cichlid, goldfish, shrimp…

Pro Tip


In the six optimized color presets, there is a very bright white mode for growing aquarium plants making the Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus an ideal choice for planted tanks. It is rated for low-medium light level plants. If you have high light needy plants in your aquarium, you should choose the Current USA Satellite Plus Pro, an upgrade version of this model.


This LED light is lightweight besides being user-friendly making it easier for you to install the light. Its sleek design is amazing and makes it stand out from the crowd. The unique features make it ideal for different types of fish from Betta fish to large cichlids. It will provide a perfect lighting for your 55-gallon fish tank.

Highlights

  • LEDs: 46W, 64 Daylight + 32 Red + 48 RGB Cluster LEDs
  • Modes: automatic 24/7 lighting cycle, four customization colors, weather modes
  • Size: 48 inch fixture with clear legs that can slide inwards
  • Ideal for: 55 gallon planted tank.

The Finnex Planted 24/7 Automated Aquarium LED light gives some unique features you will benefit from. Its fully automated 24/7 feature allows for automatic lighting cycle and hands-free control. This wonderful feature stimulates a day under the sun with sunrise and sunset inside your aquarium by automatically transitioning between different lighting colors. It starts with a cool lit dawn light, transitioning into a warm sunrise morning, followed by an intense color blazing high noon, scaling down to a red sun drowned sunset and finishing with a starry night blue moonlight.

If you don’t want to use the 24/7 feature, there are also other preset modes for you to choose. These lighting and weather modes are preprogrammed and ready to use by only a single click on the corresponding button on the remote control. Besides, there are four memory slots (M1-4) on the remote control for you to save your own lighting settings.

Pro Tip


The light features four customizable color channels the intensities of which can be dimmed independently to create various lighting colors. You are able to vary the intensities of these channels the way you want them to ensure the quality life for your fish and plants. With its 7000K bright white LEDs, the light is ideal for a planted tank with many plants to care for. The manufacturer recommends it for low-high light needy plants.


There are so many things to talk about this great product, so I have a full article of it here.

Highlights

  • LEDs: 128 high output Multicolor LEDs
  • Modes: high output lighting for enhancing fish colors
  • Fixture sizes: 48 inches
  • Used for: Arowanas, Flower horns, Discuss, Goldfish, etc.

If you have Arowanas, Flower horns, Discuss, Goldfish, etc in your fish tank, you will need a specific LED light to bring out the most coloration of these species. Being fitted with 128 high output Multicolor LEDs, each LED bulb consists of 3 fixed colors: Red, Green and Blue, the Finnex Monster Ray Color Enhancing LED strip is designed for the main purpose of boosting the coloration of your fish.

Pro Tip


The fixture is designed with aluminum enclosure that protects its inner components and acts as a heat dissipation system. It also has a moisture resistant splash guard that protects the unit against water mishaps. By this design, the high output LED bulbs will last for more than 40,000 hours.

Highlights

  • LEDs: 35.6W, 180 white LEDs 7000K + 96 RED LEDs 660nm + 12 Blue Moonlight LEDs
  • Modes: white light and blue moon light
  • Size: 48 inches
  • Ideal for: 55 gallon planted tank.

This is one of the best LED lights for planted aquarium. It is fitted with 180 white LEDs (7000K), 96 red LEDs (660nm) and 12 blue LEDs that offer a very bright daylight for plant growth and a shimmer moonlight for nighttime enjoyment. The durable high output LED bulbs makes it an ideal for planted tanks with low-medium light needy plants.

Pro Tip


The light is made with high-quality materials for an excellent quality, highly durable construction, and longer lifespan. Its aluminum enclosure protects the inner components of the device and acts as a heat sync that will help to dissipate the heat away from the LED bulbs. This design keeps the light running smoothly for a long time up to 40,000+ hours.

Highlights

  • LEDs: 46W, 96 Dual Daylight (8,000K/12,000K) + 96 Dual Actinic (445nm/460nm)
  • Modes: automatic lighting cycle, preset lighting effects and weather modes.
  • Extendable brackets: 46″ – 60″
  • Ideal for: marine fish, inverts, live rock, soft corals, LPS corals.

If you have a 55 gallon saltwater reef tank with many corals to care for, the Current USA Orbit Marine LED light is a great choice for you. It comes with a Ramp Timer Pro controller which automatically controls the LEDs according to a pre-established cycle for automatic operation and free-hand control. Moreover, the smart timer also offers short transient periods (15 – 30 minutes) between day and night modes that protects your fish and corals from sudden lighting changes.

Pro Tip


Besides the 24 hour on/off time feature, the Orbit Marine LED light also offers you four preset lighting effects which include two cloud cover modes, fading moonlight and storm with lightning. These modes mimic common weather patterns found in nature and add amazing lighting effects to your aquarium.

Top Editor's Choice on 48 Inch Led Aquarium Light 55 Gallon

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