I want to upgrade my 90-liter planted tank, currently it has a cheap LED light. I've seen that a lot of aquarists have switched to ADA Aquasky or similar smart lights. Do they actually work better or is it just marketing? Will there be a noticeable difference in plant growth?
Smart fixtures like Aquasky really do give you an advantage, but it's not so much magic as it is the spectrum and the ability to adjust it - they typically operate in the right range for photosynthesis, whereas cheap LEDs often just throw out light however. On a 90-liter planted tank, you'll notice the difference: plants grow faster, colors are more vibrant, fewer algae.
The question is whether you're willing to pay significantly more - because you do need quality lighting, but it doesn't have to be a brand name. There are lesser-known fixtures with similar specs for less money, or you can put together a decent basic LED lamp with a proper spectrum and that's already a step up from whatever cheap thing you've got now.
There will be a difference, but mostly not because of the light itself, but how you use it. Smart lights like ADA Aquasky let you change intensity and spectrum throughout the day - they mimic sunrise and sunset, dial in the right color temperature for plants. A regular light just shines the same from when you turn it on to when you turn it off. Plants respond to that: with the right program they grow better, leaves get brighter, algae are less aggressive. But if you just turn the ADA Aquasky to full power all day without any modes - the effect will be minimal.
With your 90-liter planted tank, the thing is that cheap LED lighting is often just weak in power or has the wrong spectrum. Switching to a decent light (whether smart or regular, but quality) will already noticeably improve things. ADA Aquasky is pretty pricey, and lots of aquarists get great results with regular LED lights from other brands, just by picking the right power and color temperature.
If your family budget allows and you're ready to mess with programming the modes - go for the smart light, it'll help. If money's tight - invest in a regular quality LED light with the right power. Your plants will benefit from that too, you'll just have to clean algae out of the tank a bit more often.
In practice, the difference is noticeable, but not revolutionary. For a 90-liter planted tank, a regular LED lamp with good spectrum and power will be enough - plants grow from the right amount of light at the right wavelength, not from whether it has sunrise-sunset modes. Smart lights are more convenient for automation and look prettier, but for their price you could just buy a more powerful regular lamp and get better results for your plants.
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