I have to buy the filter material for my barrels soon and I was going to use the standard JJ horizontal filter method for barrel 2, but I came across the Matala rounds recently. After reading the Meck article again I think I'll stick to the horizontal flow, but I see Matala makes sheets too (48*39). Although 39" seems like it would waste a lot of material. How do you seal these in the barrel BTW, so you don't get too much leakage around the edges? I gather it's just friction? Pond Update: Wimped out on the digging today; I wasn't making much progress on the remaining hardpan so I called an excavating company. A young guy (owner) shows up to look at my puddle and comes back with his pick and shovel. :-) He did a lot of grumbling about being hard sh*t and having employees for this kind of work, but he dug out 2 yards of hard clay in about 3 hours. It cost me more than I would have liked, but he did a decent job and the pond stands a better chance of being done this year. :)

"~ jan" <Seewebsite@jjspond.us> wrote in message news:kng5e3d6srpc2p8coqi0f38do0svlbc5bs@4ax.com... > On Fri, 7 Sep 2007 22:40:19 CST, "Bill Stock" <me7@privacy.net> wrote: > >>I have to buy the filter material for my barrels soon and I was going to >>use >>the standard JJ horizontal filter method for barrel 2, but I came across >>the >>Matala rounds recently. After reading the Meck article again I think I'll >>stick to the horizontal flow, but I see Matala makes sheets too (48*39). >>Although 39" seems like it would waste a lot of material. How do you seal >>these in the barrel BTW, so you don't get too much leakage around the >>edges? >>I gather it's just friction? > > I've thought of getting this stuff eventually myself. Stiff, more self > supporting. I'm wondering if one could put in 2 with open cell foam in the > middle of them? Or even somehow make a frame of open cell foam around the > Matala, now that would be a waste of material unless you used the foam > elsewhere. Which thickness of foam do you use, the 2"? I think the Matala stuff is just floor polisher pad material based on the colours?

"~ jan" <Seewebsite@jjspond.us> wrote in message news:n848e35m49t6g3blinp60dd92i1ec09o8s@4ax.com... > On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 22:50:58 CST, "Bill Stock" <me7@privacy.net> wrote: > >>Which thickness of foam do you use, the 2"? I think the Matala stuff is >>just >>floor polisher pad material based on the colours? > > I use 1", and in my filter at home it works great, no problems it except > when I draw the water down to pull them out to clean. After I've pulled > about half of them (total 8 in a barrel) the last 4 kind of fold down into > the barrel making it harder to reach them. > > The Matala that I've seen is like this plastic weave material I've seen on > cheap flip flops. > > Btw, my filter foam is cut a bit bigger then the 22" diameter of the > barrel, so it is kind of curved in the barrel, ~ jan > ------------ > Zone 7a, SE Washington State > Ponds: www.jjspond.us I was thinking the 2" foam might provide more resistance, so it would stay in place better. I was going to buy the 10' x 2" x 56" which s/b equivalent to your 8". It's $240 from a local pond place though. Did you buy your foam from a fabric shop or Walmart? There must be cheaper options.