T5 Reflector Help

[ndml]

Hi Guys,

I bought 6 Aquatinics Reflectors about 1 1/2 years ago and they have been in my canopy since then. I was cleaning everything the other day and they look terrible. 2 of them have nearly all the reflective material stained/worn off.

Can they be re-polished or cleaned in some way, besides just wiping them down?

If I just need to replace them, whats the best reflector available? I need 48" length, but they can't be any wider than 2" to fit all 6 into the canopy, which is why I selected the aquatinics to begin with. They were also rated extremely high for the reflective qualities, at the time.

Thanks for the help!

 

[rtparty]

You could take them down and try using a metal polish. I will tell you that all the tests show, you aren't losing that much light actually. I have seen some seriously tarnished reflectors and the PAR numbers aren't all that much better after replacement. Less than a 10% gain most of the time.

Are you cooling your bulbs? Properly cooling the bulbs will increase PAR more than new reflectors, IMO.

The only 2" reflectors I know of are Aquactinics or ATI.

ATI's are the best available. Call Reefgeek and make sure they will work for you though.

 

[ndml]

Thanks for the Reply. I couldn't find the ATI T-5 Reflectors on reefgeek.com

Is Aquactinics out of business?

 

[rtparty]

Here is the link for ATI reflectors:

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/ATI/Parts_for_Powermodule_Fixtures/

Aquactinics stopped production on all aquarium related items quite a while ago. Their main source of income is not our hobby. I think they make shop lights for warehouses or something. When the economy took a hit, they had to quit the aquarium side of things to pay bills for a while.

You can call them though and see if they have any reflectors left. I got a hanging kit from them about 6 months ago.

 

[ndml]

Thanks for the link. I can't believe I missed them. I checked those out and they say they are not recommended for a DIY canopy installation. I'm confused. What are they for? Has anyone used them in a DIY canopy? I would guess I can use my clips from the aquactinics since it says they aren't included, but I'm not sure.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[NyReefNoob]

if you go to try and polish you have to use a really finish or finisher polish, regular aluminum polish will dull it more, and dont do it in circular motion straight back and forth

 

[ndml]

It appears like the finish has actually worn off. Do they have a shiny coating on them or are they just highly polished aluminum? Will polishing actually help?

 

[NyReefNoob]

should be all aluminum, and not a finish, whether worth it or not depends on how many you would have to replace, is it from a retro kit or in a fixture

 

[ndml]

It's a retrofit kit. I built the setup myself and they were super shiny to start with. They are all rather dull looking and two of them look terrible. There is a total of 6 with fans blowing on them all. Is it a large amount of work with little results?

Thanks!

 

[on the spot]

The ATI are replacements for their fixtures.

If you go that route ask them how close the bulbs should be to the reflectors. I think I remember reading you need to modify the bulb clips to get the most out their reflectors when you do the DIY thing.

 

[NyReefNoob]

id just buy the icecap or another companies reflectors and u cant use the ati's there is no clip for the bulbs. lol i am broke but would just buy new before i spent time trying to redo them, would also look int oa piece of acrylic to use as a shield