I have what I believe is mustard algae that has grown and continues to come back.
I have been following the BBB method since I started my pool (12 x24 Intex vinyl) in 2013. With no issues till this year.
We went on vacation for two weeks and lost power. When I got back the pool looked green. I turned the equipment back on and put bleach in the pool. I noticed the pool water was getting cloudy and my SWG was barely keeping up to FC 3-4. So I started running tests and I started shocking for algae. And that turned my pool very cloudly. So - I assumed I did have some kind of Algae at the bare minimum. I had some leaves and waste in my pool when I opened it this year.
So, I pulled the SWG and kept bleaching.
I kept the shock up until the OCLT test was good. But I got in a weird cycle. When I brushed it got cloudly and then when it settled it started to clear up again. It would start to clear up then I would backwash and waste from my filter (Pentair SD40) and when I went back to filtration, it put what I assumed was a stream of dirt back into the pool. Then it got cloudy again.
SO - I figured out that even though I passed the OCLT test while running the filter 24/7 I had a bloom of what I assume is Mustard Algae somewhere in my filtration system. Now I started to notice that even with brushing the discoloration on the pool wasn't going away.
I kept shocking with Bleach and the water started clearing up again. I passed the OCLT test this past Thursday night. Maintaining FC of 24. The walls still remained discolored. There water looked mostly clear but there was what looked like dirt in the seams on the bottom of the pool.
Friday - Assuming I had a bloom in my filtration system that hopefully was gone, I vacuumed the dirt particles from the bottom of the pool into my filter and out the backwash. Then I took my filter apart, removed the media, checked the laterals for algae (none apparent) and bleached the inside of the filter, the laterals and put in fresh Zeoblast. At this time my water was clear and my test numbers were in line and my FC was holding at 24. I still had discoloration on the walls (but not all walls). I hooked everything back up and pushed dirt back into the pool again. UGH. The water got cloudy within 3 hours and I determined the bloom must have been in the hoses. So, I pulled the outer portion of the inlet and found the inner portion covered with a brown substance (algae of some variety).
So I raised my FC back to shock level from 24 to 36 based on my CYA at the time.
On Saturday morning I pulled a new set of numbers.
FC 17
CC 0
PH 8
TA 80
CA 40
CYA 25
I had dropped from Shock over night. Probably due to all the brown particles that came from the inlet. So, I emptied water out of the pool till I was below the inlet and could remove it. I removed the inlet, valve and hose that had the algae at this time. I tossed the hose, I had another one on hand. And I soaked the inlet in 8.25% undiluted bleach. I added more bleach to the pool to get to shock of 36 and added MA because the PH was so high. Pool still running 24/7. I brushed the pool walls.
Saturday afternoon - I took some water to a pool store to check to make sure my numbers were accurate. This is after draining water and adding more bleach & MA. About 3-4 hours after the addition of the bleach.
Pool store told me my water was:
FC 10 (but they only had the test that went to 10) 8(
TAC 10
Salt 4500
Calcium 90
CYA 50
PH 7.6
Copper 0
Iron 0
Phosphates 100
I didn't buy anything. I came home and added more bleach to keep water at shock level.
Sunday Morning
FC 18
CC 1
PH 7.8
TA 80
CA 50
CYA 35
Added more bleach, brushed the pool walls.
Sunday night
Just checked FC it was at 24 so I added more bleach. Brushed the pool walls.
Obviously I'm going through oodles of bleach. I've been going through 3-5 gallons a day.
Monday morning
Tried to pull FC, but ran out of drops at 20, so my FC is at least 10 and still very pink. I'm going to the store today and will get more drops.
PH is back up to 8.0 or above
TA is off the charts...can this be skewed if you have a high FC level? The TA turned light green, then blue, they yellow. And stayed yellow never turning red. I stopped at 50 drops. Assume something is wrong there.
CYA - 20-25 had to get to the top before the black spot completely disappeared. Not sure if that is 20 or 25.
So here are my questions / issues.
1)The walls of the vinyl pool now have a discoloration that won't come off. I rub with undiluted bleach (8.25%) and it doesn't come off. I brush and it doesn't come off. I'm still at shock level for mustard algae and it's not coming off. Thoughts?
2) I have been soaking the Intex Inlet in 8.25% undiluted bleach and rubbing off the substance (again I assume Mustard Algae) but there are spots that won't come clean. Ones I can't reach with the tooth brush to scrub that look just as dark after 48 hours in undiluted bleach as they do when I pulled the inlet from the pool. Is there a way to clean this? I assume this will come back if I can't clean it.
3) When I started shocking my PH was 7.2 and slowly kept creeping up. After I emptied and replaced the filter media (this past Friday) I noticed my PH hit 8 or above (it stops at 8) so I added MA and dropped the PH to 7.6 it has started creeping back up and is back up at 8.0 (or above now).
4) TA - This is a new problem today with my TA either stupid high or being skewed. Is that possible?
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
I have been following the BBB method since I started my pool (12 x24 Intex vinyl) in 2013. With no issues till this year.
We went on vacation for two weeks and lost power. When I got back the pool looked green. I turned the equipment back on and put bleach in the pool. I noticed the pool water was getting cloudy and my SWG was barely keeping up to FC 3-4. So I started running tests and I started shocking for algae. And that turned my pool very cloudly. So - I assumed I did have some kind of Algae at the bare minimum. I had some leaves and waste in my pool when I opened it this year.
So, I pulled the SWG and kept bleaching.
I kept the shock up until the OCLT test was good. But I got in a weird cycle. When I brushed it got cloudly and then when it settled it started to clear up again. It would start to clear up then I would backwash and waste from my filter (Pentair SD40) and when I went back to filtration, it put what I assumed was a stream of dirt back into the pool. Then it got cloudy again.
SO - I figured out that even though I passed the OCLT test while running the filter 24/7 I had a bloom of what I assume is Mustard Algae somewhere in my filtration system. Now I started to notice that even with brushing the discoloration on the pool wasn't going away.
I kept shocking with Bleach and the water started clearing up again. I passed the OCLT test this past Thursday night. Maintaining FC of 24. The walls still remained discolored. There water looked mostly clear but there was what looked like dirt in the seams on the bottom of the pool.
Friday - Assuming I had a bloom in my filtration system that hopefully was gone, I vacuumed the dirt particles from the bottom of the pool into my filter and out the backwash. Then I took my filter apart, removed the media, checked the laterals for algae (none apparent) and bleached the inside of the filter, the laterals and put in fresh Zeoblast. At this time my water was clear and my test numbers were in line and my FC was holding at 24. I still had discoloration on the walls (but not all walls). I hooked everything back up and pushed dirt back into the pool again. UGH. The water got cloudy within 3 hours and I determined the bloom must have been in the hoses. So, I pulled the outer portion of the inlet and found the inner portion covered with a brown substance (algae of some variety).
So I raised my FC back to shock level from 24 to 36 based on my CYA at the time.
On Saturday morning I pulled a new set of numbers.
FC 17
CC 0
PH 8
TA 80
CA 40
CYA 25
I had dropped from Shock over night. Probably due to all the brown particles that came from the inlet. So, I emptied water out of the pool till I was below the inlet and could remove it. I removed the inlet, valve and hose that had the algae at this time. I tossed the hose, I had another one on hand. And I soaked the inlet in 8.25% undiluted bleach. I added more bleach to the pool to get to shock of 36 and added MA because the PH was so high. Pool still running 24/7. I brushed the pool walls.
Saturday afternoon - I took some water to a pool store to check to make sure my numbers were accurate. This is after draining water and adding more bleach & MA. About 3-4 hours after the addition of the bleach.
Pool store told me my water was:
FC 10 (but they only had the test that went to 10) 8(
TAC 10
Salt 4500
Calcium 90
CYA 50
PH 7.6
Copper 0
Iron 0
Phosphates 100
I didn't buy anything. I came home and added more bleach to keep water at shock level.
Sunday Morning
FC 18
CC 1
PH 7.8
TA 80
CA 50
CYA 35
Added more bleach, brushed the pool walls.
Sunday night
Just checked FC it was at 24 so I added more bleach. Brushed the pool walls.
Obviously I'm going through oodles of bleach. I've been going through 3-5 gallons a day.
Monday morning
Tried to pull FC, but ran out of drops at 20, so my FC is at least 10 and still very pink. I'm going to the store today and will get more drops.
PH is back up to 8.0 or above
TA is off the charts...can this be skewed if you have a high FC level? The TA turned light green, then blue, they yellow. And stayed yellow never turning red. I stopped at 50 drops. Assume something is wrong there.
CYA - 20-25 had to get to the top before the black spot completely disappeared. Not sure if that is 20 or 25.
So here are my questions / issues.
1)The walls of the vinyl pool now have a discoloration that won't come off. I rub with undiluted bleach (8.25%) and it doesn't come off. I brush and it doesn't come off. I'm still at shock level for mustard algae and it's not coming off. Thoughts?
2) I have been soaking the Intex Inlet in 8.25% undiluted bleach and rubbing off the substance (again I assume Mustard Algae) but there are spots that won't come clean. Ones I can't reach with the tooth brush to scrub that look just as dark after 48 hours in undiluted bleach as they do when I pulled the inlet from the pool. Is there a way to clean this? I assume this will come back if I can't clean it.
3) When I started shocking my PH was 7.2 and slowly kept creeping up. After I emptied and replaced the filter media (this past Friday) I noticed my PH hit 8 or above (it stops at 8) so I added MA and dropped the PH to 7.6 it has started creeping back up and is back up at 8.0 (or above now).
4) TA - This is a new problem today with my TA either stupid high or being skewed. Is that possible?
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
