Two of the better light fixtures you can attach to the top of your fish tank are the Fluval Aquasky 2.0 and Fluval Plant 3.0. So, which of these will best fit the needs of your aquarium?
You can check out this comparison guide at Aquarium Blueprints to find out.
Quick Summary
The Fluval Plant 3.0 provides a brighter, more intense light when compared to the Fluval Aquasky 2.0. If you planning to grow advanced aquarium plants that demand high lighting, then you should get the Fluval Plant 3.0.
With that said, the Fluval Aquasky 2.0 has enough light intensity and brightness that you will be able to grow lowlight or medium-light aquarium plants. If you don’t mind the dimmer look, then you might want to get the more affordable Aquasky fixture.
Fluval Aquasky 2.0 vs. Fluval Plant 3.0 Comparison Charts
15″ – 24″ Fluval Aquasky 2.0 vs. 15″ – 24″ Fluval Plant 3.0
| 15" - 24" Fluval Aquasky 2.0 | 15" - 24" Fluval Plant 3.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 15 inches to 24 inches (or 38 cm to 61 cm) | 15 inches to 24 inches (or 38 cm to 61 cm) |
| Number of LED Lights | 36 LED lights | 99 LED lights |
| LED Colors | Blue Green Red White | Blue Cold White Pink Pure White Warm White |
| Wattage | 12 W | 22 W |
| Lumens | 800 lumens | 1,450 lumens |
| Color Temperature | 3,000 K to 25,000 K | 6,500 K |
| Fluval Smart App? | Yes | Yes |
| Programmable 24-Hour Light Cycle? | Yes | Yes |
| Color Spectrum Customization? | Yes | Yes |
| Weather Effects Setting? | Yes | No |
| Pre-Set Habitats? | No | Yes |
| Light Illumination | 120 degrees | 120 degrees |
| Waterproof? | IP67 | IP67 |
| Lifespan? | 50,000 hours | 50,000 hours |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
24″ – 36″ Fluval Aquasky 2.0 vs. 24″ – 34″ Fluval Plant 3.0
| 24" - 36" Fluval Aquasky 2.0 | 24" - 34" Fluval Plant 3.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 24 inches to 36 inches (or 61 to 91 cm) | 24 inches to 34 inches (or 61 cm to 85 cm) |
| Number of LED Lights | 42 LED lights | 168 LED lights |
| LED Colors | Blue Green Red White | Blue Cold White Pink Pure White Warm White |
| Wattage | 18 W | 32 W |
| Lumens | 1,250 lumens | 2,350 lumens |
| Color Temperature | 3,000 K to 25,000 K | 6,500 K |
| Fluval Smart App? | Yes | Yes |
| Programmable 24-Hour Light Cycle? | Yes | Yes |
| Color Spectrum Customization? | Yes | Yes |
| Weather Effects Setting? | Yes | No |
| Pre-Set Habitats? | No | Yes |
| Light Illumination | 120 degrees | 120 degrees |
| Waterproof? | IP67 | IP67 |
| Lifespan? | 50,000 hours | 50,000 hours |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
36″ – 48″ Fluval Aquasky 2.0 vs. 36″ – 48″ Fluval Plant 3.0
| 36" - 48" Fluval Aquasky 2.0 | 48" Fluval Plant 3.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 36 inches to 48 inches (or 91 cm to 122 cm) | 36 inches to 48 inches (or 91 cm to 122 cm) |
| Number of LED Lights | 63 LED lights | 252 LED lights |
| LED Colors | Blue Green Red White | Blue Cold White Pink Pure White Warm White |
| Wattage | 27 W | 46 W |
| Lumens | 1,850 lumens | 3,300 lumens |
| Color Temperature | 3,000 K to 25,000 K | 6,500 K |
| Fluval Smart App? | Yes | Yes |
| Programmable 24-Hour Light Cycle? | Yes | Yes |
| Color Spectrum Customization? | Yes | Yes |
| Weather Effects Setting? | Yes | No |
| Pre-Set Habitats? | No | Yes |
| Light Illumination | 120 degrees | 120 degrees |
| Waterproof? | IP67 | IP67 |
| Lifespan? | 50,000 hours | 50,000 hours |
| Pricing | Check Price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check Price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
48″ – 60″ Fluval Aquasky 2.0 vs. 48″ – 60″ Fluval Plant 3.0
| 48" - 60" Fluval Aquasky 2.0 | 48" - 60" Fluval Plant 3.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 48 inches to 60 inches (or 122 cm to 153 cm) | 48 inches to 60 inches (or 122 cm to 153 cm) |
| Number of LED Lights | 84 LED lights | 336 LED lights |
| LED Colors | Blue Green Red White | Blue Cold White Pink Pure White Warm White |
| Wattage | 35 W | 59 W |
| Lumens | 2,400 lumens | 4,250 lumens |
| Color Temperature | 3,000 K to 25,000 K | 6,500 K |
| Fluval Smart App? | Yes | Yes |
| Programmable 24-Hour Light Cycle? | Yes | Yes |
| Color Spectrum Customization? | Yes | Yes |
| Weather Effects Setting? | Yes | No |
| Pre-Set Habitats? | No | Yes |
| Light Illumination | 120 degrees | 120 degrees |
| Waterproof? | IP67 | IP67 |
| Lifespan? | 50,000 hours | 50,000 hours |
| Pricing | Check Price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check Price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
Length
The Fluval Aquasky 2.0 LED Aquarium Light comes in four different lengths:
- 15 inches to 24 inches (or 38 cm to 61 cm)
- 24 inches to 36 inches (or 61 cm to 91 cm)
- 36 inches to 48 inches (or 91 cm to 122 cm)
- 48 inches to 60 inches (or 122 cm to 153 cm)
The Fluval Plant 3.0 LED Aquarium Light also has four different lengths:
- 15 inches to 24 inches (or 38 cm to 61 cm)
- 24 inches to 34 inches (or 61 cm to 85 cm)
- 36 inches to 48 inches (or 91 cm to 122 cm)
- 48 inches to 60 inches (or 122 cm to 153 cm)
Number of LED Lights
On average, the Fluval Plant 3.0 have a lot more LED lights when compared to the Fluval Aquasky 2.0.
The 15 inches to 24 inches version of the Fluval Plant has 175% more LED lights when compared to the 15 inches to 24 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky.
The 24 inches to 34 inches version of the Fluval Plant includes 300% more LED lights when compared to the 24 inches to 36 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky.
Furthermore, the 36 inches to 48 inches version of the Fluval Plant also has 300% more LED lights when compared to the 36 inches to 48 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky.
Last but not least, the 48 inches to 60 inches version of the Fluval Plant comes with 300% more LED lights when compared to the 48 inches to 60 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky.
You can find the full specifications in regards to the amount of LED lights installed to each model below:
Fluval Aquasky 2.0:
- 15 inches to 24 inches: 36 LED lights
- 24 inches to 36 inches: 42 LED lights
- 36 inches to 48 inches: 63 LED lights
- 48 inches to 60 inches: 84 LED lights
Fluval Plant 3.0:
- 15 inches to 24 inches: 99 LED lights
- 24 inches to 34 inches: 168 LED lights
- 36 inches to 48 inches: 252 LED lights
- 48 inches to 60 inches: 336 LED lights
LED Colors
The Fluval Aquasky uses White (6500 K) LEDs along with tri-colored RGB LEDs to provide an adjustable light spectrum.
The Fluval Plant uses Pink, Blue, Cold White, Pure White and Warm White to produce a full spectrum with the following band waves: 460 nm, 480 nm, 3000 K, 6500 K, 15,000 K and Pink.
Wattage
On average, the Fluval Aquasky LED Light uses less power than the Fluval Plant LED Light.
The 15 inches to 24 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky uses 45.45% less wattage when compared to the 15 inches to 24 inches version of the Fluval Plant.
The 24 inches to 36 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky utilizes 43.75% less wattage when compared to the 24 inches to 34 inches version of the Fluval Plant.
Moreover, the 36 inches to 48 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky uses around 41.30% less wattage when compared to the 36 inches to 48 inches version of the Fluval Plant.
Lastly, the 48 inches to 60 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky utilizes around 40.68% less wattage when compared to the 48 inches to 60 inches version of the Fluval Plant.
You can find the full power stats of all the models in the comparison guide below:
Fluval Aquasky 2.0:
- 15 inches to 24 inches: 12 W
- 24 inches to 36 inches: 18 W
- 36 inches to 48 inches: 27 W
- 48 inches to 60 inches: 35 W
Fluval Plant 3.0:
- 15 inches to 24 inches: 22 W
- 24 inches to 34 inches: 32 W
- 36 inches to 48 inches: 46 W
- 48 inches to 60 inches: 59 W
Lumens
For the uninformed, lumens measure how bright a light source is. The higher the number, the brighter the light will be.
When compared against the 15 inches to 24 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky, the 15 inches to 24 inches version of the Fluval Plant has 81.25% more lumens.
When compared against the 24 inches to 36 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky, the 24 inches to 34 inches version of the Fluval Plant includes 88% more lumens.
When compared against the 36 inches to 48 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky, the 36 inches to 48 inches version of the Fluval Plant comes with 78.38% more lumens.
When compared against the 48 inches to 60 inches version of the Fluval Aquasky, the 48 inches to 60 inches version of the Fluval Plant has 77.08% more lumens.
You can take a look at the lumens specs below.
Aquasky:
- 15 inches to 24 inches: 800 lumens
- 24 inches to 36 inches: 1,250 lumens
- 36 inches to 48 inches: 1,850 lumens
- 48 inches to 60 inches: 2,400 lumens
Plant:
- 15 inches to 24 inches: 1,450 lumens
- 24 inches to 34 inches: 2,350 lumens
- 36 inches to 48 inches: 3,300 lumens
- 48 inches to 60 inches: 4,250 lumens
Color Temperature
For the uninformed, color temperature is measured with Degrees Kelvin (K). The higher the number, the more whiter the light will be.
The Fluval Aquasky has a wider temperature range as it can go from 3,000 K to 25,000 K. The Fluval Plant is only capable of 6,500 K. With that said, 6,500 K mimics the color of natural daylight, so your aquarium will still end up looking great.
Fluval Smart App
You can connect your Android smart phone or iPhone with both the Fluval Aquasky and Fluval Plant. Doing so will give you wireless controls, over a Bluetooth connection, for the LED lights.
Programmable 24-Hour Light Cycle
You will be able to program a 24-Hour Light Cycle for both the Aquasky 2.0 and Plant 3.0. You can customize the timing as well as the color spectrum.
Color Spectrum Customization
As we stated above, you can use the app to customize the color spectrums of both lighting fixtures. For the Aquasky, you will be able to mix Blue, Green, Red and White. With the Plant, you can mix Blue, Cold White, Pink, Pure White and Warm White.
Weather Effects
Exclusive to the Aquasky 2.0 LED Aquarium Light is the weather effects setting. Using the aforementioned phone application, you can add special lighting conditions to your tank such as sunset, sunrise in addition to various degrees of cloudy and stormy weather.
Pre-Set Habitats
Exclusive to the Plant 3.0 Aquarium Light is the pre-set habitats option. This will allow you to easily set up the lights of your aquarium to a setting ideal for a Planted Tank, Tropical River Tank or Lake Malawi Tank.
Light Illumination
Both Fluval LED lights in this versus guide feature 120 degrees of illumination, which means that they should be able to cover the entire length of your fish tank.
Waterproof
Both the Aquasky 2.0 and Plant 3.0 have been rated for IP67 when it comes to waterproofing. As a result, the two products will be able to withstand small water splashes. The devices can also withstand being dropped in a body of water (i.e. your fish tank) at a depth of 1 meter (or 3.28 feet) for a duration of up to 30 minutes.
Lifespan
The lifespan is the same in these two Fluval lights as both are rated to last around 50,000 hours, which is the equivalent of 2,083.33 days or nearly 6 years of continuous usage. So you will easily get a lot of value when compared to fluorescent lights.
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