Barebottom starboard information

[MIOR6485]

As you may notice I am leaning towards a BB 200gal tank. Most people are installing 1/2" starboard which is UV stabal, as a linear to prevent the bottom glass from damage due to rock work. I need a 2'x7' piece which comes out to roughly $200.00 I spoke with a local plastics dealer (Regal Plastics) and you can get 3/8" HDPE Sanalite cutting board in Natural for $24.00 a 2'x4' piece. It is food grade FDA approved which means to us that it wont leatch chemically but it is not UV protected. I will be running 3-250w HQI with UV shields. Do you really need UV protection? The 1/4" acrylic everyone makes sumps ,refugiums is not UV protected from what I understand but we still use it for structural and expose it to the same lighting conditions. Is there anything else out there that can be used as a linear to protect the bottom glass that is cheaper?.

[reefer]

starboard which is normally intended to be used on boats, as replacement panels for hatches and other stuff, where it is exposed to sunlight just prevents the color from fading. as far as using the cutting board, this would work just as well as starboard, imo, since it isn't exposed to real sunlight.
8)