Dealing w/Algae for 3 weeks

[TheKs]

Ok, now that I have the pool under control, here are some maintenance questions:

Current Status
FC - 6 ppm
CC - 0 ppm
TC - 6 ppm
Nighttime chlorine loss: none
Daytime chlorine loss: 0.5 - 1.0 ppm loss
PH - 7.6
ALK - 127
CYA - 40
Pool Temp: 82 degrees
Usage: 3 adult swimmers, average 3-4 times a week
Debris: very little daily debris

Are the above levels a good standard to strive to maintain?
How often should I test the water per week?
When/how often should I shock the pool?
Is it best to shock using 6% bleach or dichlor?
Is it ok that I don't want to use the trichlor tabs in our floater very often because our pool is so small and it can add a lot of cyanuric acid very quickly?

Thanks again!
Peggy

[Charlie_R]

From what I've seen on this forum, if you maintain your current levels, you shouldn't have to shock. Shocking would be if your FC& CC levels start changing on their own, meaning there is something eating up your FC. According to the Best Guess Chart, you are looking good.

[Watermom]

Your numbers look great!

How often to test? Every evening.

When to shock? Only if you start seeing algae, have cloudy water, start having an increased chlorine demand, if you detect a CC reading greater than 0.5ppm or if your chlorine level drops below the minimum level needed for your CYA level.