"Lumenarc" Reflectors...

[brizzo]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the reason you can't uses mirrors is because it will create hot spots. Similar to using a magnifying glass and the sun

[mike31154]

I've read that mirrors are not an efficient reflective material for lighting. The light needs to pass through the glass to get to the reflective material behind the glass, bounce off and then pass through the glass a second time. Apparently a lot of light is lost in this transition.

[RCFA]

Originally Posted by mike31154

I've read that mirrors are not an efficient reflective material for lighting. The light needs to pass through the glass to get to the reflective material behind the glass, bounce off and then pass through the glass a second time. Apparently a lot of light is lost in this transition.

Makes sense, similar losses to putting 2 sheets of thin glass on top of your tank.