Quote Originally Posted by ryankenn View Post
Is this par for the course with algae? I mean I had a TON on the bottom after the shock as the pool really was a swamp.
It's very common with undersized filters and oversized pumps, as are commonly installed as they have been on your pool.

1. Do NOT let the stuff 'shoot' through the filter. We're beginning to suspect that doing so grinds the particles even smaller.
2. If you have a valve, and any way to SLOW the flow through your filter, do so. Once you've done so, see if dirt STILL blows through your filter.
3. If dirt still does go through, it's probably time to open your filter and see if you need to add sand. Under sized filters combined with over sized pumps tends to result in sand loss at each backwash. If you do need to add sand, you will also need to add a valve between the pump and the filter, to allow you to restrict flow.

Generally, people come here wanting solutions to THEIR pool problem, and are not asking general questions. Since pools vary, we try to keep threads separate.