mirror backing on a tank

[ofthee]

hello all, I was wondering what effect a mirror back would have on the lighting in a tank. Do you think it reflects enough light into the tank, to warrant more use out of your lighting system, of do you think it doesn't matter. It just seems that if you have more photons bouncing around it might change the lighting.

Im asking, because my tank has a mirror back, which seems to make the tank have the appearance of no really dark spots

[Doug]

Hi Ofthee,

I would imagine that the mirrored back would cause more even lighting in a tank but just be careful with your fish. If you keep any fish that have a tendancy to fight with their own kind they may see the mirror as another fish of the same type.

HTH

Doug

[Laura D]

not to mention that it would allow you to see some of the cool stuff that comes out of your live rock at the back of the tank. I did this when I set up my very first reef. Not for the enhanced lighting(that didn't occur to me for some reason) but because I was so entranced by the life coming out of my rock that I wanted to see it from every angle.
Mulberry

[Q-ball]

Doug's words mirror (sorry:D) my own...In my fowlr, after I clean the glass real well, my dog-face puffer will do his "I'm a tough guy" shimmy & shake at his reflection, he even puffed up at himself one time! LOL!!!

Q!!!

[ofthee]

Hello, I don't keep fish at all...they always died, and I like inverts better. You are right it is good to be able to see the back of my rocks, only problem now, is I have so much coralline algae that I only see the top 3/4 of my back wall mirror. hehe its a good problem for a change