MIGHT THIS WORK? FILTER IDEA FOR SKIPPY CONVERSION....

[Mmathis]

Per another post, you probably know that I'm thinking about ways to convert a 100 gal Rubbermaid (SKIPPY) into something that has more effective mechanical filtration than I'm getting now (or was, before the temps started dropping).

A thought was to keep the SKIPPY like it is, but do away with any dedicated bio-media. I would layer some MATALA (flowing upward via green, blue, to gray) over the egg-crate, leaving the bottom area open for "debris collection," like I have now. I have a 2" drain in the bottom of SKIPPY. The MATALA would (wouldn't it?) function as bio-media. This horizontal layering might not be too hard to keep free of debris if the company's claims are true that you can clean collected debris by either tapping the sheets, and/or by flushing with pond water. Could fix up a diverter so I could rinse directly from the submerged pump.

Of course, the MATALA sheets won't be cheap, but I like thier claims about water flow and debris capture. Think this would work? Effective MECHANICAL filtration, effective BIO-filtration with not-too-complicated cleaning regimen????

 

[sissy]

If you put plants in your filters they will eat up the gunk .Over time those filter mats will get clogged up and then you will have to take them out and clean them or filter will over flow and nothing will be in the bottom to collect .

 

[crsublette]

Sounds good. Post some pics as you go or when ya get done

 

[HARO]

Overflowing wouldn't be a problem with an upflow filter. If your mats get clogged, the force of the water can push up the media, thus bypassing the mats entirely. Depends on your cleaning schedule. If I were in your position, I'd try it for a season and see for myself if it's feasible. After all, that's what pondering is all about!
John

 

[Mmathis]

If you put plants in your filters they will eat up the gunk .Over time those filter mats will get clogged up and then you will have to take them out and clean them or filter will over flow and nothing will be in the bottom to collect .

Sissy, I would clean them as needed. The MATALA folks claim that, 1) any gunk that collects will slough off & fall to the bottom. 2) you can manually dislodge the gunk by shaking or tapping the media, again letting it fall to the bottom where you can wash it out the bottom drain, and 3) you can dislodge it by back-flushing with pond water and washing it out the bottom drain. All of those methods are supposed to maintain the integrity of the bio-media. We'll see if their claims are true, and I'm willing to try it. But I tend to be skeptical when it comes to anything that sounds too good to be true.

Will consider plants again, but here in LA, most of the best filter plants are banned...

 

[sissy]

I have never used them because of the cost so don't know much about there mats .I guess if you try and fail you still have the mats and you can just change the design .I know they make mats like matala but a no name company and they are cheap and not sure it could have been JW who uses them .But senior moment here :razz:

 

[j.w]

I used these in my DIY filter for many yrs. They do build up w/ gunk but very easy to rinse or hose off especially the green ones w/larger holes. I bought sheets of them at a pond supply place up the road. You can prolly find them online too. I didn't have a bottom drain thing on my filter so had to haul it outta the pond w/ a rope tied like a handle. Got tired of doing that and now don't use a filter but might put those mats in my waterfall up-flow tank that is above ground and easier to maintain. Here are pix of what I used:

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I think that MATALA material is great stuff and use three layers of it in one of my tanks.

But! even the really fine MATALA is nowhere near as good as quilt batting for filtering out the fine stuff that is responsible for cloudy water.
In the video below I am rinsing out some quilt batting I had installed in my filter system, after, the MATALA pads. In other words all the green mucky water you see getting rinsed out of the quilt batting went right through those MATALA pads, and they hardly had any gunk at all, because most of the coarser stuff gets picked up in my settlement chamber.

So in my case because I have a settling tank I would think the MATALA functions fairly well as bio-media, because it stay quite clean.
In the photo below you see I have also added some Springflo strapping material to that tank, and have water flowing in from those 4 intakes. That flowing water agitates the water in that tank and helps keep the pads clean, kind of the same way adding aeration to bio-media tanks can keep the media clean, but not as effective.
However, if you are using the Matala pads as your prime coarse mechanical filter, I would think it would quickly get gunked up and not function very well as a bio-filter material.

 

[mrsclem]

I have 2 150 gal. stock tanks with bottom drains that are upflow filters. Don't use the matala (cost) but use the blue furnace filters on plastic bread racks 6-8 inches up off the bottom and then springflo material over that. The furnace filters clog VERY quickly and are hard to clean out. Back flushing the filters does not get them clean so I use a 900gph pump to spray them clean with pond water. Not sure if the matala would clean easier but it does look like a more open weave with smoother fibers. I am considering moving the filter pads to the top of the filters next year and see how that works.

 

[Mmathis]

I have 2 150 gal. stock tanks with bottom drains that are upflow filters. Don't use the matala (cost) but use the blue furnace filters on plastic bread racks 6-8 inches up off the bottom and then springflo material over that. The furnace filters clog VERY quickly and are hard to clean out. Back flushing the filters does not get them clean so I use a 900gph pump to spray them clean with pond water. Not sure if the matala would clean easier but it does look like a more open weave with smoother fibers. I am considering moving the filter pads to the top of the filters next year and see how that works.

Have you had any problems with the furnace filters shedding the blue coloring? The filters I used previously were [I guess] AC filters from Lowes. They look harmless, but after a while [of being submerged] I was finding fine blue particulates catching in the quilt batting, floating in the filter, and finding bare spots on the filter material where the "blue" came off. That scared me, so I removed it all. Had been using that as first layer in SKIPPY [upflow] and also cut up as bio-material.

Yes, the MATALA people claim that their stuff cleans easily -- remains to be tested.

 

[granyhuskr]

I put Matala mats in my 150gal Skippy sitting on the rack, then topped with scrubbies and plants. On my 100gal filter I didn't use the Matala mat but put in lava rock. I have two layers of Matala mats in my skimmer. I don't clean my Skippy filters except for fall. The mats in my skimmer get cleaned and boy do they collect the gunk. I like the mats because I can just pull them out and hose them off in the fall. Before I used quilt batting and threw it away so I think eventually the mats will pay for themselves because I am not replacing them all the time. I get my mats from a pond supply in our local town. Since doing this my water clarity has been great.