I used starboard in my office nano and I like it a lot. The only thing I would suggest would be to silicone it in, detritus will collect under it if you don't. With mine, I left a small hole in one corner that allows me to suck it out with the water change hose. My tank is only 8 gallons though so the small size allows me to get most of the gunk out that way, in a larger tank I think it would be more difficult. As far as the look goes, to me it looks like sand being that it's white but then you also get coralline growth on it so be prepared that it won't look like sand for long. I like it mostly because it offers a layer of protection for the bottom glass but still gives you the benefit of bare bottom, it's amazing how much crud builds up and how quickly, you can really see why sand beds get so nasty.