Fla_Larry

anyone here know of, possess knowledge of, or can point me towards
a good source for reflector design. not looking to squeeze every last lumen out of a given bulb, but would like to be somewhat close.

Inf i feel i need is preferred distance from bulb to reflector surface

how far should reflector extend below 90* axis of a bulb to optimize Critical angle

am thinking a simple parabolic or arc reflector. while i realize this may not optimize the reflective light it should certainly get me in the area for next to no cost.

My thought was to use a large diameter PVC pipe cut in half.
Line it with aluminum foil, mount bulb at a point that would achieve most light reflected down towards water surface.

lights that are planned for use are 1 24" and 2 18"

Tank is a semi odd configuration corner tank, 24" to a side, and 24" deep.
The front side is offset 8" each side @ 90* from each side then approx 26" across the front. ( this makes it a 5 sided corner tank )
picture it like a Diamond with the point in the corner

My goal is to achieve between 1.6 & 2.0 WPG for this tank while staying below 70.00 total cost for lighting. Addition goals are simple to maintain, long life bulbs and low replacement costs. lets just say T8 bulbs to make it all simple.

lew2000

Fla_Larry, most threads that deal with DIY reflectors use polished aluminum. There was a link i had were the use of tin foil and super bright white paint were discussed. The issue with tin foil was that it broke down after a while if i recall correctly. Especially if water got on it from codensataion then it was marred somewhat even after cleaning. This link shows the type of polished aluminum:

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...product=CP5751

hope this helps.