Why do corals and clams look better from the top?

[Quinn]

I spend more time staring into my tank wearing a scuba mask than the average goldfish owner does, that's for sure. Why is it that so many animals look better from above than from in front?

[EmilyB]

cuz we are playing God? :lol: :mrgreen: :razz:

[Mak]

Cause your not looking through the glass. Glass is not exactly clear, it's got a darkish green tint to it :eek: :squarewi: .

[UnderWorldAquatics]

its because you are getting a more pure direct reflection of the light comming from you canopy, if the lighting was comming from the side, your corals would look better from the side. Its kinda like a mirror, things are best seen from directly across.

[Quinn]

I have Starphire glass. :mrgreen: However UWA's explanation makes a fair bit of sense. I'll go with it.

[StirCrazy]

or a simpler explanation would be because the majority of the light is reflected directly back up off the pigments of the critter/coral, sende we see only by reflection when we have the most reflected light comming directly back at us the immiges are sharper and more clear, as we wonder to the sides the immage will be dimer and less saturated.

If you want to see this effect in a different situation go look at a rear projection TV and slowly walk back and forth infront of it as you watch it.

Steve

[Mak]

I think I'll go with the others as well :rolleyes: :mrgreen: .

[Quinn]

This brings up an interesting, akin to the comment in my signature - how far can an ant see? (Steve should be able to get this.)

[EmilyB]

Ants don't have eyes....it's the uncles that do... :question:

[Quinn]

I always laugh at how people from the east coast pronounce aunt. Hopefully MalHavoc doesn't see this.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Glass like water filters out light, glass is more dense than water so it filters out more light. That's why if you take a PAR reading up against your glass you'll get a lower reading than if you took it on the inside of the glass. That's just a summary, no science, the thicker the glass, the more colour loss.

Doug