Best material for t-5 reflector?

[FloridaFishMan]

Hi,
just want to see what is the best material to use for a t-5 refletor?
Chris

 

[WarDaddy]

http://www.aqualuxlighting.com/

 

[hilexx116]

WarDaddy thanks for the link looks like they have some good deals

 

[leaffish75]

try a solar tube. cut it up to fit the bulbs

 

[MDboyz]

Anyone knows how this reflector compares to icecap, or tek reflector?

 

[Waylander]

Just as a reflective material, they are the same (Alanod?).

 

[trmiv]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6583353#post6583353 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MDboyz
Anyone knows how this reflector compares to icecap, or tek reflector?

From what I've read it's better than the Tek, and just under the IceCap.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Any "engineered" reflector will be better than anything you can fashion yourself. It's not a mater of just the material. The quality of light and it's focus is a function of shape.

 

[JMBoehling]

I just installed some TEK T5's and the reflector was not as shiny as the material my solar tubes are made from... Not a mirror finish. I can only assume that Aqualux must use a true mirror finish metal to get better PAR from these bulbs.. These bulbs are awesome no matter what reflector you use..

 

[BeanAnimal]

"shiny" has less to do with relfectance than one might think. I am not saying that your TEKs are more reflective than your solar tubes. However, the shape of the reflector is more important than the minor percentage difference in the reflectance of the two materials.

Of course given the same exact shape, the more reflective material will always win.

 

[jrcastro]

could you just use any type of reflector & bend it in a U shape?
Is the issue with T-5's performs better with having it's own reflector per bulb?

 

[BeanAnimal]

A reflector has to be optimized for the size of the bulb and the desired focus pattern or light spread. Just bending a sheet of metal around a bulb does not work. It will refelct some of the light down, but much of the light will be reflected back and forth, bouncing off of the reflecter and bulb several times and then scattering. Light that scatters or does not find a direct path to the tank is wasted. The TEK, SLS and other reflecters were designed on a computer to optimize them for the T5s diameter and location within the reflecter. They are designed to direct as much light as possible into the tank.

Bean

 

[MDboyz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6586758#post6586758 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
A reflector has to be optimized for the size of the bulb and the desired focus pattern or light spread. Just bending a sheet of metal around a bulb does not work. It will refelct some of the light down, but much of the light will be reflected back and forth, bouncing off of the reflecter and bulb several times and then scattering. Light that scatters or does not find a direct path to the tank is wasted. The TEK, SLS and other reflecters were designed on a computer to optimize them for the T5s diameter and location within the reflecter. They are designed to direct as much light as possible into the tank.

Bean

You are right about that. I thought my DIY reflectors was good. Got 5 reflector from aqualux and hooked them up. I was amazed how much brighter my lights are ... even though I have to down size them from 6 bulbs to 5.