Starboard, epoxy.. etcc

[Shawnts106]

I am trying to find where to get Starboard, and the Reef Safe Epoxy resin to make a fake sandbed...

Trying to go BB and still retain that look...

where can I get it?

[alazo1]

I got my starboard at Bed bath and beyond. Had to buy 2 pieces so there is a seam down the middle of the tank. Plastic stores would have them though and will cut to your size. I did by dsb to bb changeout on a Sunday so had no choice.

No experiece with the epoxy

Albert

[triggerfreak]

I have a stupid question.What is starboard?

[Shawnts106]

Starboard is a plastic polymer I think, its a flat board kind of like styro sheets, but made from Plastic...

Isnt it the same or simular material found on Plastic Mail Bins?

[bkoz]

Its the stuff they make cutting boards out of, the white stuff. They actually make it in a bunch of differant colors and you can order it whatever size you want. I cant remember the place you can order it from but if you google "cutting board" im sure it'll come up.

[grundig5]

Bought mine here:
http://www.cuttingboardcompany.com/custom.asp
They are familiar with the reef application, so let them know in the notes that its for a reef tank. They will send some scraps to practice cutting out for the overflow and such. Great company.

[flyyyguy]

Good luck getting the performance of BB and the look of sand.

Dont get me wrong, I like the coincept too but have not ONCE seen where it has been done and not either looked like crap after a years time, or at best, not looked any better than simply coralline covered starboard.

I even posted a thread a while back hoping someone could prove me wrong. Nobody could. FSB is a waste of effort as until someone figures out a way to coat the sand you epoxy down with something that keeps it white, or figures out a way to clean coraline off of it to keep it white. A true fake sand bed that continues to look like a sandbed over time isnt something that has been done.

At least if you use straight starboard you can scrape it clean if whtie bottom is the look you want. Here is my starboard a year old.

[JayB1224]

Thats is a nice link. I like the option for the rounded edge at not extra charge. it beats getting the router out. :-)

[Fishbulb2]

Is the starboard necessary? I have a small 40g breeder and was planning on removing my sandbed. Can i just place the rocks directly on the glass?

[flyyyguy]

Originally posted by Fishbulb2
Is the starboard necessary? I have a small 40g breeder and was planning on removing my sandbed. Can i just place the rocks directly on the glass?

You can.

I actually use the starboard for a different purpose than most. I use a 3/4" thick piece so I can drill 1/2" deep holes in it to hold my acrylci rocklifts without any flow restriction across the floor of the reef.

Most people use it to protect their glass from breaking in the even of a rockslide, but stories of that actually happening are pretty rare. Although I know this guy, who knows a guy, who knew somebody that it happened to.

[grundig5]

Haha ... likely a rock will not crack your tank bottom unless you really let it go while holding it a few feet above the tank. I recently went to a cutting board bottom because I have a glasscages tank and I hated the look of the inside glass brace.