How do you clean MH reflector

[dzhuo]

Mine has only been in used for a month or so but already there are salt stains. I tried to clean them with a wet paper towel but didn't work. I then tried a vinegar solution but didn't work either.

How do you clean yours? If it helps my reflectors are LumenMaxs.

[cloak]

I use toilet paper. Just wipe it down with some wet TP and then dry it. Piece of cake. How long has it been since you've cleaned it? If it's been awhile it might be caked on there pretty good, but it really shouldn't be anything a little elbow grease can't handle.

[dzhuo]

I am pretty sure I said mine has only been a month. :) What's TP? I tried pretty hard with a wet paper towel and it just makes no difference. Even a vinegar solution doesn't seem to do a thing.

[cloak]

Yeah, I guess I didn't process that at first. TP is just toilet paper. I don't see how salt spray could be that difficult to get off. Maybe just try a wet towel next time and scrub really really hard. I'm not sure what those reflectors are made of, but I use steel wool to clean the chrome bumpers on my car sometimes. That might work. Make sure first before you scratch the hell out of your reflector.

[dzhuo]

If you can easily wipe clean yours, then we are definitely not talking about the same stuff. Do you have a MH reflector like LumenMax? I think what happen is droplets of saltwater got in contact wit the reflector, the MH heat evaporate the water leaving the salt behind which somehow "eat" into the reflector.

Does anyone has similar experience.

[crotchtrout]

it might be corrosion. as steel corrodes it rust and looks red, aluminum turns white which could look like salt. its kind of weird that a aluminum reflector would corrode so fast but it could be caused by stray current in the reflector

[crotchtrout]

here is a pic of aluminum corrosion

[mike_cmu04]

If it is eating into the reflecter there is no way to fix it.

[dzhuo]

I can't be the only one who has this problem given the popularity of these LumenMax, LumenArc, LumenBrite reflectors on the market. Before T5 and LED, pretty much every SPS reefers use them. I don't know if it's really salt "eating" into the reflector; it's just a guess of what happened.

Does anyone actually own one of these reflectors and not having this problem?

@crotchtrout, it looks similar but it's hard to tell because mine has only been used for a month so there are only tiny patches here and there.

[crotchtrout]

that picture is not a good example as that is sever corrosion. if its not wiping off easily than it is most likely corrosion.
the salt is not "eating" away the aluminum its just speeding up the electrochemical process. it does this by increasing the conductivity of water so electrons are more easily transferred to the cathode (making it corrode faster). wikipedia goes in depth about how corrosion works.

did you buy it new? if so contact the manufacture and tell them. this should not happen this fast. was it scratched when you got it? that could make it corrode faster. a picture would be nice to see

[crotchtrout]

here is another pic pulled from google
another thing that can speed this process up is an acid based cleaner but i doubt you used any thing like that around your aquarium

[milhous3er]

I can't be the only one who has this problem given the popularity of these LumenMax, LumenArc, LumenBrite reflectors on the market. Before T5 and LED, pretty much every SPS reefers use them. I don't know if it's really salt "eating" into the reflector; it's just a guess of what happened.

Does anyone actually own one of these reflectors and not having this problem?

@crotchtrout, it looks similar but it's hard to tell because mine has only been used for a month so there are only tiny patches here and there.

I've been using a lumenmax elite for about 2 months now and I don't have any problems. It looks just the same as the day I openend up the package...

[dzhuo]

You must be mounting your a bit higher than mine (~10 inch) or you have a way of avoid them in contact with saltwater. You might not have noticed it yet.

I remember there is a way to clean this because there was a thread a while back. I can't find it anymore. The subject isn't entirely about this problem but the guy talks about how he finally decided to clean these "water spray" which significantly improved the efficiency of the reflector.

I wish I can find this thread now. :(

[2cool4u]

ya mine are rusty need to change them woner if ya could get them chromed that would make a shine

[dzhuo]

I did a bit of research and this is the stuff I am talking about:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1867377&highlight=cleaning+reflectors
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1910616&highlight=cleaning+reflectors

It seems to me there is no way to clean them off easily. I might contact the manufacture for advice.

[duramax]

i would try a good metal polish it might take some elbow grease but it will get it clean

[milhous3er]

You must be mounting your a bit higher than mine (~10 inch) or you have a way of avoid them in contact with saltwater. You might not have noticed it yet.

I remember there is a way to clean this because there was a thread a while back. I can't find it anymore. The subject isn't entirely about this problem but the guy talks about how he finally decided to clean these "water spray" which significantly improved the efficiency of the reflector.

I wish I can find this thread now. :(


I have my bulb 14" from the water level. Sooo maybe around 12" from the water. Are you using the glass to protect the reflector ???

[dzhuo]

I do not use glass. Mine isn't HQI so a glass isn't required. I don't want the glass to trap heat. I mount my bulbs about ~10" from the water so the reflectors are bit lower. My 2 Tunze create lots of surface ripple (intended) so it's understandable that small droplets of water got in contact with the reflector.

Even with ~14", I expect you might still see this down the road a few months from now.

[milhous3er]

Well I use glass on mine. I have a DE MH so I have no choice to use glass. I have very, very little salt creep on my glass, but mostly its dust

[Stanley-Reefer]

nxt all metal polish by meguire's for cars....it shines prochargers, exhausts, and turbonetics like a mirror.