Arcadia Reflectors can treble the amount of UV available to your animal by redirecting any stray light.
When a fluorescent tube is ignited, light is given off evenly in every direction, much of which is directed upwards into the lid of the aquarium. If a reflector is mounted behind the tube, this stray light is not wasted, but redirected back to where it is required – the aquarium, so that the efficiency of the tube is maximised.
Fluorescent lamps are cylindrical in design, this means that light is produced all around the tube and down the length of the lamp. By using the correct reflector, you effectively capture all of the light that is produced from the top and the sides of the lamp. This could be as much as two-thirds of its total output. This light will otherwise be effectively wasted to reflection around the enclosure; and not readily available to the animal.
By using a reflector you are able to focus the total light output, including the UV component, and generating a much more effective basking zone. The use of the right reflector with the right lamp can actually triple the amount of UV available to the animal.