Newbie with ?'s (mustard algae) (Deb)

[debs_pool]

REQUESTING FEEDBACK AND ENCOURAGMENT! : )

My NUMBERS FOR TODAY: (7/12/06) (ABOUT 4:30 PM CST)

With [B] ME[B] testing: (with Wal-Mart Kit) (Ben's kit has been ordered!)

pH 7.5-7.8

Cl 5+ (ORANGE color)
(It was still 5+ when I dilluted pool water by 1/2 with distilled water -- but was at least at the HIGHEST YELLOW level.

Total Alk: 170-180

CYA: Not Tested (don't have enough reagent) (I tried to buy some at a pool store today and the kid told me I didn't "want" that -- it was too expensive -- like $30 or something)

(He also said he prefered the "strips" to the drop kit -- OMG -- I think he may have "tested" my water with "strips" -- here are those #'s (written on an AquaCheck Pool and Spa Test Strips Page!):
(BTW - this is NOT my regular pool place.)

Total Hardness 1000 (he wanted be to buy some stuff for this -- but I didn't because I want to continue learning about this before I "do" anything on this one)
Total Chlorine: 5 - 10
FC 3 - 5

pH: 7.8
Total Alk: 180

Iron: 0 Copper: 0

I did buy a bottle of ALGICIL - ALGAECIDE (Poly) (oxyethylene (dimethylimnio) ........ 60% (I won't use it unless I need it but it was $19.99 plus tax and the 60% from Wal-Mart here is $25.88!

So -- I'm trying to keep my Chlorine (bleach) high -- but I don't really have the "correct" number. Carl told me I needed to keep at 20 ppm until this "mustard" algae is gone. I'm hoping I'm doing the right thing -- I will be glad when Ben's kit gets here (wish I'd found the site sooner! I'd have ordered sooner! LOL)

[aylad]

It's going to be next to impossible to accurately measure 20 ppm with the OTO kit, and I have zero faith in the pool store's numbers, so do the best you can until Ben's kit gets here with what you have. ..
The bottle of polyquat is the only type of algaecide we recommend on the forum, so it's not a bad buy--but I"ll let someone who uses it advise you on when to do so--I don't use it in my pool at all.

I doubt seriously your hardness number is 1000 (unless it's total hardness and not just calcium hardness), otherwise with your TA and ph where they are you'd have a pool full of milk. Don't buy anything to adjust it.

And I'd hate to see what happened to a sales person if I told him I wanted a bottle of CYA reagent and he said I didn't want that!!!!!!! Stick to your guns, if you ask for something, insist that they sell it to you--have confidence!!

Janet

[brent.roberts]

If you can find another pool store to do a test ... do it.

Your PH is higher than it should be at a time when you're trying to kill an algae bloom. You want to shoot for the low end of the range, like about 7.2

This makes the chlorine more effective as an oxidant and can almost double the effectiveness of PH near the 8 level.

Sure hope you get your kit from Ben real soon. It would be a big help now.

Sounds sorta ... kinda like you've got the chlorine level in the right ballpark. Keep the brush active. The algae the grows ON the pool is the hardest to kill off. The brush is critial.

[duraleigh]

Has your water changed since you posted last? Tell us what it looks like.....can you still see visible algae?......what's the clarity?

[debs_pool]

Has your water changed since you posted last? Tell us what it looks like.....can you still see visible algae?......what's the clarity?

18X36 regtangle 4ft deep then slopes to 6ft then to 8 ft ...

The shallow end is faily clear (not crystal clear) until it slopes off then the water is a little bit darker and gets to almost an dark aqua color in the deep end. I can see the sloped sides of the deep end and I can even see the main drain (not very well at all)

I will be glad when it gets crystal clear -- but it's hard to have POP sometimes! (especially for a newbie that's learning about my own pool stuff finally!)

It looks like there is some -- but a lot less of the mustard algae in a few areas -- the sloped walls in the deep end look better -- can't really see too much there now. There are a few places on the steps -- but a lot less.

I guess I will put more bleach (2 gal) in the pool in a bit and brush it again in a bit -- right now the sun is right on part of it.

I've brushed it 3X today. LOL Does this count for exercise?

I'm sure this would be easier if I had Ben's kit -- but I'm trying to work with my Wal-Mart special until Ben's kit arrives. And, of course, I'm coming here to get advice too -- and I'll still do that even AFTER I get Ben's kit! I hope I'm not driving you guys/gals nutso! However, I am driving myself NUTSO!

Thank you for all your help. I appreciate it VERY VERY VERY much!

[brent.roberts]

this routine will certainly count for exercise, mentally and physically.

Evan thanks for that bit on the PH and fighting algae. Never saw anyone say anything like that here before. All the references I read ( not close to everything posted here however ) said pretty unanimously that 7.2 to 7.3 made chlorine more effective.

[debs_pool]

Yes, Evan, a great big THANK YOU! : ) I meant to thank you in my previous post -- but then I went off on a rant! LOL I appreciate EVERY ONE who has responded to my post! Thanks! You guys/gals are the best!

[duraleigh]

Hi, Deb,

It sounds like you are making a little progress, albeit slowly.

Since your dilution test seems to indicate around 10ppm, you'll need a little more than three gallons to bring it back up to 20....not the two gallons you indicated.

Since you've been on this about four days, I think you may be getting close based on your water description. Keep plugging the bleach in there, especially at night, and I think your pool will clear.

[waterbear]

If you can find another pool store to do a test ... do it.

Your PH is higher than it should be at a time when you're trying to kill an algae bloom. You want to shoot for the low end of the range, like about 7.2
Actually, when trying to kill algae a pH of around 7.8 will favor the formation of monochoramine which is extremely effective at killing algae but is very short lived. This is exactly how the ammonia based 'chlorine enhancer' type of algae killers work! If you do this be sure an keep the chlorine levels as constant as you can for best results.
This makes the chlorine more effective as an oxidant and can almost double the effectiveness of PH near the 8 level.

Sure hope you get your kit from Ben real soon. It would be a big help now.

Sounds sorta ... kinda like you've got the chlorine level in the right ballpark. Keep the brush active. The algae the grows ON the pool is the hardest to kill off. The brush is critial.

Hope this helps.