Starboard?

[flugelnuss]

Where's the best place to purchase starboard? Also, what thickness is recommended to get? Is 1/4" good enough and what is the best type of cutting instrument to cut it to size?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Henry Bowman]

You can look at US plastics, I think they carry it. Starboard is a brand name and will cost more than sufficient equivelants. Google search "cutting board material" you can get it in sheets for less than you can purchase Starboard. Any NSF rated (National Sanitation Foundation) cutting board material is rated for "Food Use" should be fine in a reeftank. 1/4" would be pretty thin, but would work, if you can find it that thin..... I think 5/8" is pretty standard.

You can use a circular saw or table saw or jig saw to cut it with. You'll probably have to cut it since the sheets come in larger standard sizes than fit in most tanks. I'd try to get as few large pieces to fit in the tank as poss. They'll collect some detritus in the seems.... Easy enough to blow out with a power head though.

I'm a chef by trade (If that adds any "weight" to my opinion...?) We use NSF cutting boards all over our kitchens. I purchased cutting board material to use in my tank(s) and have never had a problem.

HTH

 

[Bergovoy]

Starboard or other material comes in sheets of 54"x96".

I used 3/8
material, but saw someone else use thicker and used clear acrylic rods drilled into the board to support his rock structurre.

I will building a rod system too but will have to surface mount the rods, which I think will be better so I dont have the holes to deal with later...

Thinner board will tend to warp and let detrius under the board.

You can silicone the edges but silicone dies not stick well, and will probably split in time, but it can help with the detrius in the joints.

Cutting it with a fine tooth blade and use acylic lubricant that you get at the plastic store, it is a 2x2 inch by about 1-" piece of some type of lube for cutting plastics. It reduces the friction and melting of the plastic.

Good luck

Bill

 

[flugelnuss]

Thanks Henry and Bill!

I was looking at this

1/4" Starboard 24x54

it's pretty reasonable compared to the cutting boards that i saw on US Plastics. However, at US Plastics, I would need to use two pieces as they don't come in the size that i need, which is 48x24.

I was also looking at the 1/2" anti-skid one as the warping might scare me off of the 1/4" starboard. If they aren't anti-skid dot pattern, then are they smooth enough for rock to slide around if it gets jostled?

1/2" Starboard 24x54

This costs a little more than double what the 1/4" starboard costs, but it has the anti-skid dot pattern on it. I know for a fact that these are UV protected/rated. I'm not so sure about the cutting board though.

 

[Bergovoy]

The non skid / textured is not all that smooth, certainly rougher then glass.

The sheet I bought was almost $200 for a full sheet (54x96)

I saw someonese diy rock mount that he made out of acrylic rods that he drilled into the starboard that was spaced about 3" on center, (every three inches). the rock stacked on top of hthe rods and werent going to slide anywhere. It also kept therock off the bottom to allow current to flow underneath, which was the primary goal.

I dont think the board will warp or lift with a bunch of rock on it.

Good luck

Bill