Home made reflectors

[KarlosFandango]

I'm in the middle of an epic DIY session. Made a new stand for the tank I picked up on Saturday. I'm now sorting the hood and lighting. As the tank will have planting I'm fitting three 40W bulbs, but in order to get the most from them I am trying to make a reflector.

Clicky here because I can't get the picture to work

The picture shows the reflector. Piece of large drainage pipe that I cut into three and screwed together. Obviously the interor surface needs to be reflective but how? Should I use silver foil and glue of silver spray paint? Any other suggestions?

 

[bob`_your_dog]

Hey, i just used a long piece of aluminum and bent it, works like a charm

 

[chkltcow]

I'm in the middle of an epic DIY session. Made a new stand for the tank I picked up on Saturday. I'm now sorting the hood and lighting. As the tank will have planting I'm fitting three 40W bulbs, but in order to get the most from them I am trying to make a reflector.

Clicky here because I can't get the picture to work

The picture shows the reflector. Piece of large drainage pipe that I cut into three and screwed together. Obviously the interor surface needs to be reflective but how? Should I use silver foil and glue of silver spray paint? Any other suggestions?

If you can find the reflective mylar, that would probably be your best bet. It's SUPER shiny and thin enough to put it on there just like paper on the inside. It's fairly cheap, too... if you can find it anywhere. Problem is, I don't know where to tell you to look for it.

 

[KarlosFandango]

Just to update, I used aluminium foil. Like the stuff you use for cooking. Put a layer of PVA glue and then layed the foil on then coated with another layer of PVA. Looks neat and is fully waterproofed ................Now who's going to tell me PVA is poisonous if used in a fish tank

 

[Lateral Line]

I've used aluminium foil before, used aquarium silicone to hold it in place. Does tend to "fog" after a while though. Mylar is better, but more delicate.

 

[daza]

Mylar is normally available on ebay for about £2.50/metre. I was thinking of using some to cover the inside of my hood.