Ok.

Stabilizer has been in for 36 hours. Pump running whole time.

CYA: 25
FC: 2.5
CC: .25
pH: 7.5


I haven't added bleach in 36 hours and I haven't really lost any FC at all (is this due to stabilizer and solar cover being on?)

What is my goal CYA and FC?

8600gal. The Pool Calculator says CYA should be between 30 and 50. And FC between 2 and 6.

If I have higher FC (6 for instance) will I have more Chlorine smell or is the smell mainly from any CC's?
Is a FC of 2-3 capable of keeping algae away?

Is there a calculator that shows how many ppm of FC I will lose daily given CYA and pool capacity?

Give the CYA another 5 or 6 days to fully dissolve, then measure the CYA level again and adjust from where it is then to around 40 to 50.

For now, you want to keep FC between 2 and 6, and never below 2. When CYA comes up further you will need just slightly higher FC levels.

The smell comes from CC. When FC is just slightly too low, you start to get some CC and can smell it. Raising FC usually eliminates the CC.

It is difficult to predict how much chlorine you will lose. It depends not only on your CYA level but also on how much sunlight shines on the pool. A solar cover usually cuts down chlorine loss dramatically.

Sounds great you have been a huge help in all this. Went an hour away to go shopping and get some dinner. found a Leslie's and they had no clue what borates were and no test strips. They looked at me like i was crazy.

What causes algae growth? Just lack Of chlorine? can algae grow with 2fc? Everything is great now i just want to keep it that way

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Algae spores blow in the wind and when they get into pool water (or fall in from algae growing on surfaces above the pool water) they can grow if there are nutrients in the water and there is not enough chlorine to kill them. It is a competing race between the rate of algae growth and the rate that algae is killed.

The algae growth rate is faster at warmer temperatures and usually with more sunlight (except for yellow/mustard algae that prefers shade) and the rate is faster at higher nutrient levels including phosphates and nitrates. However, the growth rate is ultimately limited by temperature and sunlight regardless of the nutrient level in the pool.

The rate of chlorine killing algae depends on the active chlorine (hypochlorous acid) level and that is roughly proportional to the FC/CYA ratio. So the answer to your question if algae can grow with 2 ppm FC, the answer is yes if the CYA level is above roughly 25-30 ppm in a manually dosed chlorine pool. Basically, most algae will be killed faster than it can grow if the FC level is maintained relative to the CYA level as indicated in the Chlorine / CYA Chart.