[billford]

does anyone know the name,where to buy, a material that looks like giant scotch brite.it’s used to make land areas.thanks

 

[Dane]

I believe you are referring to Matala, commonly used as pond filter media. I highly recommend it, and it can be found on Amazon, or various aquarium suppliers.

 

[Harpspiel]

Someone on here recommended polyester floor stripping pads, which are much cheaper than Matala but a pain to work with (I bought some, they are, unsurprisingly, very abrasive).

 

[hydrophyte]

I'm pretty sure it's just rebranded industrial scrub pad, but Epiweb works great...

Habitat Supplies - EpiWeb - GLASS BOX TROPICALS

 

[IShouldGetSomeSleep]

EpiWeb is Polyethylene terephthalate > Epiweb I also see scrub pads that say they are nylon. Searching gray scrub pads comes up with a lot of results that look very similar Epiweb I'm planning on buying a bunch for a upcoming project.

 

[Harpspiel]

EpiWeb is Polyethylene terephthalate > Epiweb I also see scrub pads that say they are nylon. Searching gray scrub pads comes up with a lot of results that look very similar Epiweb I'm planning on buying a bunch for a upcoming project.

Just keep in mind that Matala and Epiweb have opposite properties.

• Matala is polyester and is hydrophobic. If you want a material similar to Matala that does not wick water from the drainage layer at all, you want polyester scrub pads.
• Epiweb is specifically made to wick as much as possible. If you want something that wicks and is more similar to Epiweb, nylon is hydrophilic.

 

[billford]

does anyone know the name,where to buy, a material that looks like giant scotch brite.it’s used to make land areas.thanks
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[billford]

thank you everyone! great choices

 

[hydrophyte]

Just keep in mind that Matala and Epiweb have opposite properties.

• Matala is polyester and is hydrophobic. If you want a material similar to Matala that does not wick water from the drainage layer at all, you want polyester scrub pads.
• Epiweb is specifically made to wick as much as possible. If you want something that wicks and is more similar to Epiweb, nylon is hydrophilic.

In my experience Epiweb doesn't wick much at all. Although it does hold onto a certain amount of moisture when wetted.

Hygrolon is the material that actively wicks water.

 

[Harpspiel]

In my experience Epiweb doesn't wick much at all. Although it does hold onto a certain amount of moisture when wetted.

Hygrolon is the material that actively wicks water.

From the Epiweb website (emphasis is theirs):
Epiweb. consists of a plastic material that will not decompose and it will always keep itself moist and free from substances which could harm roots. Epiweb is 100 % Toxic free and are made of 70 % recycled plastic. It is avaliable in several designs, for planting in pots and as slabs.
Material description: Polyetylentereftalat (PET)
Waterkeeping ability: 76% of its own weight

It doesn’t wick as much as Hygrolon, but it’s not hydrophobic like Matala.

 

[JasonE]

I used matala for my last build and I'm a big fan.

 

[NorCal Frogger]

Ime epiweb wicks very little. I was really hoping it would wick more.

 

[IShouldGetSomeSleep]

Ime epiweb wicks very little. I was really hoping it would wick more.

Really...

Anyone know of something that would wick better? I mean really wick.

 

[hydrophyte]

Really...

Anyone know of something that would wick better? I mean really wick.

'
Hygrolon (also from Glass Box Tropicals) is the stuff that wicks. It will wick up to about 14" high.

 

[IShouldGetSomeSleep]

Do you think that cloth Stereo fabric would be a fine alternative to Hygrolon? It came up when I typed Hygrolon, mesh speaker fabrics sure do look the same...

 

[NorCal Frogger]

This seems to be the same,

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RBNRJSL/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A12BDJNA94V3FD&th=1

 

[Encyclia]

When I was looking for Hygrolon, I ended up with something labeled "tactical fabric" on Ebay and it seemed to do the trick. Looked a whole lot like what @hydrophyte linked.

 

[Chlorophile]

Horticultural capillary matting will wick, but I think not as far as one would think (vertically, anyway) if memory serves. I had the idea a few years ago to try a piece of it with the bottom edge in water hanging in front of a small fan to try to increase humidity on a plant stand shelf, but it didn't work in that it didn't wick far enough to stay wet in front of the air current. Maybe if dipped on the upper edge in a water reservoir and allowed to seep downwards, that would wick further due to gravity, which I believe is how folks get Hygrolon to stay damp over greater distances. Anyway, I keep meaning to try capillary matting as a background in a small terrarium. Capillary matting is sold online, often by African Violet and/or greenhouse supply companies, and looks/feels like felt, though I don't recall what material it's made out of.

Kind of the opposite of the OP's request (something non-wicking I assumed), but there it is.

I have found Matala pretty easy to cut to size, at least, which might not be the case for other alternatives.