I have been scouring this site for weeks. I have read things over and over but I can't seem to get any information that seems like my situation.

I have an Intex 16X48 at the moment it has the cartridge filter(I ordered the 1600 Sand filter) that came with the pool and the Intex SWG. I have had this pool for 2 seasons. I thought I knew what I was doing however last year after a few quick googles I thought I had metal in my water, I also thought that when I was putting in the Metal Free that the brown powder on the bottom every 3 days or so was the metals that needed to be vacuumed out. No big deal really the water was clear and perfect. Now we come to this years opening...as the pool was filling with water it had a green tinge to it, thinking metals again, I added metal free and well...it was still tinged green. I added CYA, and bought a test kit...all wrong moves really. The test kit is terrible, got that from Leslies...I do a test and come out with 1 reading and take the same water to the store and they come out with something different. For that I will say the kit I have now and the store readings only go to 5 for FC so honestly I know I have above that in chlorine in the pool now, how much exactly I won't know until my TF-100-XL get's here. My question really at this point is:

is it possible that there really was algae last year and that when I filled it this year it activated it? I never saw any green at all last year, just the powder as I stated before, I have been putting in bleach until my kit gets here but the Leslie's test said my CYA was low at 30(put in a gal of liquid cya, thought that would do it because on the bottle it said for a 10,000 it would raise it 32 so I figured for my 5200 it would raise it to about 60ish) I took some pics but it looks MUCH worse in them. The water is only tinged green not the fluorescent the pictures show!

http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t476/11tiki11/12-220EDF05-630837-960.jpg
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t476/11tiki11/12-23C3B7A4-807341-960.jpg

A clear transparent green after adding chlorine is metals in the water, not algae. Algae will cloud up the water.

Metal Free is not one of the recommended sequestrants. Sequestrants based on HEDP, phosphonic acid, or phosphonic acid derivatives are the most effective. ProTeam's Metal Magic and Jack's Magic The Pink Stuff (regular), The Blue Stuff (fresh plaster), and The Purple Stuff (salt) are some of the top sequestrants. You can also find many other brands with similar active ingredients, some of which are noticeably less expensive.

Definitely metals.

So Jack's should clear up the green? I's sorry if I sound daft I guess I just associate green with algae. Would the brownish powder that kept falling to the bottom last year be the metals? I guess I need to read pool school for the 37th time

Yes, though you will continue to have to apply maintenance doses to keep the metals in solution.

Could have been precipitated metals, pollen or algae. Good news is the the TF-100 is the right tool for the job and that 1600 gph sand filter will do much better than your old intex cartridges.

Thank you so much, I will keep reading and keep you posted!

Oh I forgot...Welcome to tfp, tiki

Thanks Linen!

I actually had some metal magnet from last year its ingredients are phosphonic acid derivatives as you suggested Jason, I looked for the Jack's but it's not sold locally and I didn't want to wait for that to be delivered so I used what I already had!

Worked like a charm 1/4 bottle and this morning the pool was clear. You guys are really helpful and knowledgeable! I will continue to read the site, seems I'm addicted as it is.

My children throw a huge "THANK YOU" at you because it was in the 90's today and going to get hotter tomorrow...thankfully they cooled off in the pool today