If you are not familiar with Total Alkalinity, don't be confused by the name--it's a buffer that prevents pH from deviating too much. Suggested amounts are between 80 and 125, but with vinyl you can safely go to 180 without having to worry about lowering it.

Hardness is calcium and NO MATTER WHAT THEY TELL YOU, you don't need it in a vinyl pool. Calcium's job in water is to prevent the calcium in the walls of concrete and plaster pools from being leeched out, weaking the concrete, mortar or plaster. It has no effect on vinyl or fiberglass pools.