White LED vs. WRGB: Do You Really Need to Spend RM300?

A beginner walks in, points at a RM30 Sobo LED and a RM300 Chihiros WRGB, and asks: “Boss, both also light. Why this one 10 times more expensive? Will the fish die if I use the cheap one?”

The short answer is: No, the fish won’t care. The long answer is: Your red plants will turn green, and your tank will look “washed out.”

In the Malaysian aquarium market, lights fall into two camps:

1. The “Pasar Malam” Specials: Sobo, Kaokui, China-brand Clip-ons (RM15 – RM50).
2. The “Pro” Gear: Chihiros, Netlea, Week Aqua (RM200 – RM1,000+).

Is the expensive one a scam?

To understand this, we need to look at Physics, not just Price.

1. The Science: PAR vs. Spectrum

To grow plants, you need two things: Power and Flavor.

• PAR (Photosynthetic Active Radiation): This is the Power. It’s how “strong” the light is.
• Spectrum (The Colors): This is the Flavor. It’s the specific mix of Red, Green, and Blue wavelengths.

The White LED (Standard)

Most cheap LEDs are Pure White (6500K to 10,000K).

• How it works: Manufacturers take a Blue diode and coat it with yellow phosphor. The result looks white to our eyes.
• The Problem: It has a lot of Blue and Green energy, but very little Red.
• Effect on Plants: Plants will grow. Green plants (Anubias, Ferns) love it. But Red plants (Rotala H’ra, Ludwigia) need strong Red/Blue spectrums to produce Anthocyanin (the pigment that makes them red). Without it, they revert to green to survive.

The WRGB (White-Red-Green-Blue)

These lights have separate diodes for each color.

• How it works: They blast specific wavelengths (Deep Red 660nm, Royal Blue 450nm) that target photosynthesis peaks.
• The “Pop” Effect: Because they have dedicated Red diodes, red fish (Chili Rasboras, Red Guppies) and red plants look “High Definition.” Under a white LED, a red fish looks pale orange. Under WRGB, it looks like a Ferrari.

2. The Test: Growth vs. Appearance

I have run both side-by-side in the shop. Here is the honest result.

Key Takeaway:

A high-power White LED (like the Chihiros A-Series) can actually grow plants faster than a WRGB because it has raw raw power. But the plants won’t look pretty. They will look “yellowish-green.”

The WRGB is designed to make the tank look like a 4K TV screen.

3. The “Red Plant” Paradox

Beginners buy a pot of red Ludwigia, put it under a RM20 light, and ask why it turned green.

• Reason 1 (Spectrum): The light lacks the red spectrum to stimulate pigment production.
• Reason 2 (Intensity): Red color is actually a Sun Tan. Plants produce red pigment to protect themselves from too much light. If your light is weak, the plant doesn’t need “sunscreen,” so it stays green to absorb more energy.

Verdict: You cannot grow “Super Red” plants with a RM20 light. It is biologically impossible.

4. The “Shop Guy” Buying Guide

So, do you need to spend the money?

Buy the White LED (RM30) If:

• You keep Guppies, Goldfish, or Cichlids. (Fish don’t photosynthesize).
• You only have Low Tech Plants (Anubias, Java Fern, Moss).
• You are on a student budget.
• Brand Rec: Sobo Slim, Kaokui.

Buy the WRGB (RM200+) If:

• You want Red Plants.
• You are Aquascaping for Instagram/TikTok (White LEDs look terrible on camera; WRGB looks amazing).
• You have the budget and want the “Shimmy” effect on the water floor.
• Brand Rec: Chihiros WRGB II Slim (Best Value), Netlea AT5 (Good Color), Week Aqua (Budget WRGB).

Shop Guy Pro Tip: The “Nitrate Hack” (Free Redness)

If you already bought a WRGB light and your plants still aren’t red, stop adding more light.

Starve them.

Red plants turn reddest when they are Nitrate Limited (starving for Nitrogen).

1. Let your nitrates drop to near zero (5ppm).
2. The plant gets “stressed.”
3. In response, it turns a deep, blood red.

This is how the pros do it. High Light + Low Food = Red Plants.

Low Light + High Food = Green Algae.

The Bottom Line

• Growing Green? Save money, buy White LED.
• Growing Red? Open your wallet, buy WRGB.