lighting question

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Krilorn

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May 11, 2009
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Is there a easy way to make your average hood light more reflective? I was thinking some sort of foil or maybe paint the inside some sort of glossy white? Am i way off on this or is it even possible to do what im thinking? Thanks
 

myswtsins

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Jun 15, 2008
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Someone with more experience will come along soon but until then here I am! To answer your questions, it depends. What kind of average hood are you working with and what are you trying to get out of it?

Foil will not work & white paint is certainly better than nothing but they do make reflectors you can retro fit into the hood. Where the "depends" really comes into play is what you are trying to get out of the light. Typically, If you have a standard florescent hood light & want to grow plants, even a great reflector isn't going to cut it. With more details we can better assist you.

Also, you might get better answers in the Freshwater equipment, products & DIY board.
 

schaadrak

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Sep 3, 2006
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Polished aluminum with a coat or two of clear-coat. You'll want to cut it into a sort of elongated "M" shape with the downward point over top of the bulb.

Sort of like this: /¯¯\/¯¯\
 

tanker

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Sep 1, 2003
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You can call glass company and get a mirror cut to size. Ask for the thin type---much cheaper!!!
 

Krilorn

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May 11, 2009
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Thanks for the advice. I have 2 standard hood lights for a 20 long. They are 30inch length hood with 24" ballast. The reason i was asking is because there seems to be a couple of dark areas of the tank, mostly the back two corners. I have been just using the lights directly over the water to get more light in the corners, but was wanting to put the cover back on to prevent any possible escapies.
 
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