1 way mirror refugium

[MoshJosh]

could you add a 1 way mirror film (or place a 1 way mirror panel) around your refugium to decrease light coming out and increase the light being "bounced back" in while still being able to see into the fuge?

 

[Timfish]

Just keep the glass clean. Internal reflection from light entering the tank from above the water surface is near 100%. What you are seeing is light that's bounce off the internal animals and surfaces.

 

[MoshJosh]

Just keep the glass clean. Internal reflection from light entering the tank from above the water surface is near 100%. What you are seeing is light that's bounce off the internal animals and surfaces.

but wouldn't a mirrored surface bounce back the light that is bouncing off the internal surfaces? Decreasing the light bleed and increasing the light available to the algae? I am assuming this light contribution to the algae would be small/negligible. . . but still curious. . .

 

[Timfish]

The physics of light is very complicated (is light a particle or a wave?). And we're not talking about a mirrored surface. The physics of light passing through a boundary line like water/air and water/glass/air adds another level of complexity along with the "angle of incedence". Very simply put, Light passing from air threw the air/water boundary then hitting the water/glass boundery is reflected back into the water then strikes a surface (like a fish or rock or chromoprotein of a coral, flourescent proteins add another layer of complexity as they are absorbing then emitting light) and some wavelengths are absorbed and some are reflected giving a fish or rock the color of light that is reflected (here's where the philospher's mind bending question comes in "can we trully see something?").