The Chihiros Universal WRGB is a high-performance planted aquarium light designed specifically for aquariums where a conventional open-top Chihiros light isn't the ideal solution.
It combines white, red, green and blue LEDs with full app control, allowing you to dramatically improve plant growth, colour rendering and overall aquarium appearance while retaining a covered aquarium setup.
The Universal WRGB is particularly popular as a lighting upgrade for aquariums such as JUWEL, Eheim and other enclosed aquarium systems where you want stronger planted-tank lighting without converting the aquarium into a completely open-top setup.
Available from 60cm through to 150cm aquarium sizes, there is a Universal WRGB model for a wide range of larger planted aquariums.
Why Choose the Chihiros Universal WRGB?
Most premium Chihiros lights are designed primarily around open-top aquariums.
The Universal WRGB is different.
It was developed to work particularly well with covered aquariums and existing aquarium hoods, giving customers with systems such as JUWEL access to Chihiros-style RGB lighting without necessarily removing the entire lid.
You get:
WRGB full-spectrum lighting
Excellent colour rendering
Strong planted-aquarium performance
App-controlled brightness
Adjustable colour channels
Automatic lighting schedules
Sunrise and sunset transitions
IP67 water resistance
Multiple mounting options
Models from 600–1500mm
For someone with a premium enclosed aquarium who wants significantly better planted-tank lighting, this is one of our favourite options.
Who Is It For?
We recommend the Universal WRGB for:
Planted aquariums
JUWEL aquariums
Eheim aquariums
Covered aquariums
Aquariums where the light needs to sit beneath or integrate with a lid
Customers upgrading basic factory LED lighting
Aquascapes
CO₂-injected planted tanks
Customers growing red plants
Customers wanting app-controlled lighting
Larger planted community aquariums
If you're running a completely open rimless aquascape, we'd also look at lights such as the Chihiros WRGB II.
The Universal really earns its place when you're trying to get high-quality planted lighting into an aquarium that was originally designed around a lid.
Universal WRGB vs WRGB II
These two lights have similar goals but suit different aquarium designs.
Choose the Universal WRGB if:
Your aquarium has a lid
You're upgrading a JUWEL or similar enclosed aquarium
You want a light designed to integrate into a covered setup
You need a larger model such as 120cm or 150cm
You want multiple mounting options
Choose the WRGB II if:
You have an open-top aquarium
You're building a dedicated aquascape
You want a traditional Chihiros rim-mounted light
Maximum planted-tank performance is the priority
The Universal WRGB isn't simply a WRGB II in a different shape.
Its real advantage is installation flexibility.
Why Upgrade Factory Aquarium Lighting?
The standard light included with many complete aquariums is perfectly adequate for:
Viewing fish
Easy plants
Basic freshwater setups
But if you start getting serious about plants, lighting can quickly become one of the biggest limitations.
Upgrading to a Universal WRGB can give you:
Greater light intensity
Better red plant colouration
Better visual colour rendition
Greater control over intensity
Independent colour adjustment
Programmable schedules
Gradual sunrise and sunset
More flexibility as your planted tank develops
That doesn't mean everyone needs to replace their original aquarium light.
For an easy Anubias and Java Fern setup, the standard light may be completely fine.
We'd upgrade when your goals actually require it.
Which Universal WRGB Size Do I Need?
Choose the model according to your aquarium length and physical mounting requirements.
Universal WRGB 600
Recommended Aquarium Length: approximately 55–65cm Light Length: 52cm Power: 29W Output: approximately 2,245 lumens
Good for covered aquariums around the 60cm size.
Universal WRGB 700
Recommended Aquarium Length: approximately 65–75cm Light Length: 62cm Power: 33W Output: approximately 2,613 lumens
Designed for aquariums around 70cm long.
Universal WRGB 800
Recommended Aquarium Length: approximately 75–85cm Light Length: 72cm Power: 36W Output: approximately 2,789 lumens
A particularly useful option for tanks around 80cm.
Compatible applications can include aquariums such as the JUWEL Rio 125 depending on the installation.
Universal WRGB 920
Recommended Aquarium Length: approximately 87–97cm Light Length: 83cm Power: 55W Output: approximately 3,848 lumens
Designed for aquariums around the 90cm class.
Universal WRGB 1000
Recommended Aquarium Length: approximately 95–105cm Light Length: 92cm Power: 59W Output: approximately 4,246 lumens
This is the model we'd look at for aquariums around 100cm long, including setups such as the JUWEL Rio 180.
If you've bought a Rio 180 and eventually want to take the planted side significantly further, this is exactly the type of upgrade we'd consider.
Universal WRGB 1200
Recommended Aquarium Length: approximately 115–125cm Light Length: approximately 111.9cm Power: 91W Output: approximately 6,251 lumens
Ideal for larger 120cm planted aquariums.
Potential applications include tanks such as the JUWEL Rio 240 and Rio 350, subject to checking the exact installation.
Universal WRGB 1500
Recommended Aquarium Length: approximately 145–155cm Light Length: approximately 141.9cm Power: 100W Output: approximately 7,358 lumens
Designed for larger aquariums around 150cm.
Potential applications include aquariums such as the JUWEL Rio 450 and Vision 450.
Measure Before You Buy
This is important.
Don't choose the light purely because your aquarium has “180” or “240” written on the front of it.
Measure the actual aquarium and the space available for the light.
Aquarium model numbers often represent litres rather than physical length.
Before ordering, check:
Aquarium length
Internal hood dimensions
Available mounting space
Existing braces
Lid position
Existing light fittings
Which supplied Universal adapter you're planning to use
If you're unsure, send Simply Fish a photo and the make/model of your aquarium and we can help work out which option makes sense.
Designed for Covered Aquariums
This is one of the most important differences with the Universal series.
The Universal WRGB is particularly suited to aquariums with a lid or enclosed top.
That makes it a great upgrade path for customers who like the tidy appearance and practical advantages of a covered aquarium but still want much stronger planted-tank lighting.
You retain benefits such as:
Reduced evaporation
Reduced fish jumping
Cleaner enclosed appearance
Less household dust entering the tank
while gaining significantly more control over the light itself.
My Chihiros App Control
The Universal WRGB connects to the My Chihiros app through its integrated controller.
From your phone you can control:
Overall brightness
Red channel
Green channel
Blue channel
White lighting
Lighting schedules
Sunrise transitions
Sunset transitions
Daily on/off times
This lets you tune the aquarium for both plant growth and how you personally want it to look.
Don't Start It at 100%
This is probably our most important piece of advice with powerful planted aquarium lights:
Do not install it and immediately run every channel at 100% for 12 hours per day.
More light is not automatically better.
If your plants don't have enough:
CO₂
Nutrients
Plant mass
Root development
to utilise that amount of light, turning the intensity up can simply make maintaining balance more difficult.
For a new installation, we'd generally start conservatively.
Something around 20–30% intensity can be a sensible starting point for many setups, then slowly increase it as you see how the aquarium responds.
How Long Should I Run It?
For most planted aquariums we'd start around:
6–8 hours of meaningful light per day.
That doesn't mean the light has to suddenly switch from completely dark to full brightness.
The My Chihiros app allows you to build:
Sunrise
Main lighting period
Sunset
into the daily programme.
A sensible schedule might look conceptually like:
Sunrise → 6–8 hour main period → sunset
rather than blasting the aquarium for 12–14 hours because you want to look at it all evening.
Can Too Much Light Cause Algae?
Light doesn't magically create algae by itself, but excessive light makes an imbalanced aquarium much less forgiving.
If you upgrade from a basic factory LED to a much more powerful WRGB light and suddenly run it at maximum output, the aquarium may not be ready to utilise that extra energy.
If algae starts appearing after installing a stronger light, we'd look at:
Intensity
Photoperiod
CO₂
Fertilisation
Plant mass
Water changes
Organic waste
Overall aquarium stability
before simply buying an algae treatment.
Do I Need CO₂?
No.
You can use the Universal WRGB without injected CO₂.
However, the more light you provide, the greater the plant demand for carbon and nutrients becomes.
For an easy low-tech planted aquarium, we'd simply run the light at lower intensity.
For a high-tech aquarium with:
Strong lighting
CO₂ injection
Aquasoil
Regular fertilisation
Demanding plants
you can gradually use more of the Universal's available output.
Think of the extra power as headroom, not something you're required to use.
What Plants Can I Grow?
With the appropriate overall setup, the Universal WRGB can support a very wide range of planted aquarium species.
That may include:
Easy Plants
Anubias
Java Fern
Cryptocoryne
Vallisneria
Hygrophila
Ambulia
Moderate Plants
Rotala
Ludwigia
Various stem plants
Smaller foreground species
More Demanding Plants
With appropriate CO₂, nutrients and substrate:
Carpeting plants
High-light stem plants
Strongly coloured red plants
More advanced aquascaping species
Remember:
A powerful light doesn't remove every other requirement plants have.
It simply removes lighting as one potential limitation.
Why WRGB?
Traditional white aquarium LEDs can grow plenty of plants.
WRGB lighting gives you much greater control over the individual colour components of the light.
That can dramatically improve the appearance of:
Red plants
Green plants
Blue fish
Red fish
Hardscape
The overall depth and contrast of the aquarium
This is one reason a heavily planted aquarium can look completely different after moving from a basic white LED to a quality WRGB system.
Colour Temperature
The Universal WRGB allows you to adjust the appearance of the aquarium across approximately 3,000K to 15,000K through the lighting controls.
You don't need to obsess over finding one mathematically perfect colour temperature.
Adjust it until:
Your plants are performing well.
The aquarium looks natural to you.
Fish colours are represented well.
You're not using extreme settings simply because the app allows it.
Waterproof Rating
The Universal WRGB has an IP67 rating, making it particularly suited to the humid environment found underneath aquarium covers.
That does not mean we'd deliberately submerge the light.
Treat it as water-resistant aquarium equipment and install it correctly according to the supplied instructions.
Simply Fish Recommends
We particularly like the Universal WRGB for JUWEL owners.
The Rio range already gives you a really good aquarium, cabinet, filtration and overall system.
If you eventually become more serious about aquatic plants, the Universal gives you a way to make a substantial lighting upgrade without abandoning the covered aquarium format that made you buy the JUWEL in the first place.
Our main advice is:
Don't buy this light and assume you need to use 100% of it.
Start around 20–30%.
Run around 6–8 hours.
Watch your plants.
Watch the algae.
Then increase the output gradually if the aquarium genuinely needs more.
We've seen plenty of planted-tank problems caused by someone buying an excellent light and then immediately using far more of it than their aquarium can handle.
A powerful light is useful because it gives you control.
Use that control.
Specifications
Brand: Chihiros Range: Universal WRGB Lighting Type: WRGB LED Control: My Chihiros app Controller: Integrated Colour Adjustment: Yes Brightness Adjustment: Yes Scheduling: Yes Sunrise/Sunset: Yes Colour Temperature: Approximately 3,000–15,000K Water Resistance: IP67 Primary Use: Freshwater planted aquariums Installation Style: Multiple mounting options, particularly suited to covered aquariums
Models
Model
Aquarium Length
Power
Approx. Output
600
55–65cm
29W
2,245 lm
700
65–75cm
33W
2,613 lm
800
75–85cm
36W
2,789 lm
920
87–97cm
55W
3,848 lm
1000
95–105cm
59W
4,246 lm
1200
115–125cm
91W
6,251 lm
1500
145–155cm
100W
7,358 lm
FAQ
What is the Chihiros Universal WRGB designed for? It is a WRGB planted aquarium light particularly suited to covered aquariums and setups where a conventional rim-mounted Chihiros light may not be appropriate.
Can I use it in a JUWEL aquarium? Yes, selected Universal models are designed to work with various JUWEL aquarium sizes. Measure your aquarium and check compatibility before ordering.
Which Universal WRGB fits a JUWEL Rio 180? The Universal WRGB 1000 is the model we'd normally look at for the approximately 100cm-long Rio 180.
Which model suits a JUWEL Rio 125? The Universal WRGB 800 is a common match for the approximately 80cm Rio 125.
Can I control it from my phone? Yes. The light is controlled using the My Chihiros app.
Can I schedule the light automatically? Yes. You can set automatic daily lighting schedules and sunrise/sunset transitions.
Do I need CO₂? No, but if you're running a low-tech aquarium without CO₂ we'd normally use significantly less than the light's maximum output.
What intensity should I start with? For many setups, around 20–30% is a sensible conservative starting point. Increase gradually according to plant growth and aquarium response.
How many hours per day should I run it? We generally recommend starting around 6–8 hours of meaningful lighting per day.
Is it waterproof? The Universal WRGB is rated IP67. Install and use it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Universal WRGB or WRGB II? For covered aquariums such as many JUWEL systems, we'd lean toward the Universal. For a dedicated open-top aquascape, we'd normally also consider the WRGB II range.
Will it grow red aquarium plants? It provides excellent colour rendering and enough lighting headroom for demanding planted setups, but red plant growth still depends on the complete system including nutrients, CO₂, species and plant health.
Will upgrading my light fix dying plants? Only if insufficient lighting is actually the problem. Plants can also struggle because of nutrient deficiencies, excessive light, poor substrate nutrition, incorrect planting or inadequate CO₂.
Can too much Chihiros lighting cause problems? Yes. Running a powerful light harder or longer than the aquarium requires can make algae and overall imbalance harder to manage. Start conservatively and increase gradually.
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