Barebottom Starboard Color Pros/Cons

[Ashish Patel]

WWC had white starboard in their old store and it was the first time I realized I need to go white Barebottom. Their new store they are using Black starboard. My guess would be white is more difficult to keep clean in a deeper tank. There are other colors like Seaform looks like light beige which may also work. Mostly all the tanks at BRS are using Black also. I can't get my head around having black back and black bottom!

Why are ppl using darker color BB and what other colors are recommended? I would love to see your pictures.

 

[Cory]

I wouldn't use black either so unnatural looking imo. White is best to reflect light on the underside of corals.

 

[buck27]

Following along here, I too am wanting to see the options of going bare bottom. I have an acrylic tank build that I am doing and given that sand can "help" you induce scratches to the tank I considered using starboard or pvc board myself. I even contemplated using silicone to adhere sand to the white board possibly.

Interested to see the pics and information on this thread for sure!

 

[Colt13]

I was very close to using starboard but I think I’m just gonna paint the outside bottom glass white. Don’t need to worry about detritus settling in the cracks

 

[Cory]

I was very close to using starboard but I think I’m just gonna paint the outside bottom glass white. Don’t need to worry about detritus settling in the cracks

Im the same but wish i had starboard because im always worried rocks may crack the bottom!

 

[Ashish Patel]

I wouldn't use black either so unnatural looking imo. White is best to reflect light on the underside of corals.

Yeah thats a big reason why I want to go white! I feel your losing a lot of light reflection

 

[Ashish Patel]

I was very close to using starboard but I think I’m just gonna paint the outside bottom glass white. Don’t need to worry about detritus settling in the cracks

I had no choice in my last tank since I removed the sand but something about glass bottom that erks me. It just looks akward and unfinished. Not to mention there was no piece of mind when moving rocks or corals in the tank! If you have the chance to add something do it and I plan on silicone the edges!

 

[javisaman]

How do you guys clean the starboard? I have a starboard on the bottom of mine, but since I have had algae/dino problems a lot of it collects on the surface. Brushing usually works, but there is this hard brown base underneath the algae. I don't like scraping and leaving a plastic bit everywhere.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Im the same but wish i had starboard because im always worried rocks may crack the bottom!

Good point. Even though I had a fixed aquascape I could never be too sure if a large overhang chunk would break of and crack the bottom. While unlikely its not impossible and worst part is I probably would never noticed a small leak until my floors are trenched.

 

[Ashish Patel]

How do you guys clean the starboard? I have a starboard on the bottom of mine, but since I have had algae/dino problems a lot of it collects on the surface. Brushing usually works, but there is this hard brown base underneath the algae. I don't like scraping and leaving a plastic bit everywhere.

I never used starboard so can't comments. I hope the snails can clean it and worst case I will go with few urchins! I will have multiple tanks so they can just be as needed clean up crew

 

[Ashish Patel]

More concerned about that hard algae stains but experience has taught me turbo snails will suck the smalled algae of anything, few specs of green here and there I can live with it = it is a fish tank after all!