Need help with Algae Problem

[rpgman]

18x42 Intex Easy set pool......6280 gallons filled a week ago Sunday (07/01/07)

The next day, I have green algae floating on top and on the bottom, not much but some....so, I've been reading this forum and others and decided to use the BBB method.

I ordered a TAYLOR K-2006-C TEST KIT for $89.90 from the internet and it arrived Friday (07/06/07).

that night (last Friday) I put in Stabilizer to get it to between 30-40 CYA, but before that, and since I didn't have a test kit that went above 5ppm for Free Chlorine, so, I've been guessing and been putting in about a gallon of 6% bleach every night....so, Friday was the first day I could test the Free Chlorine above 5ppm....

so, here's my log as of 6am today, and I've been vacuuming the pool everyday and keeping the pump running, I upgraded the pump last year to a Hayward sand pump that is more than efficient than I really need, so I know the water circulates about every hour to 2 hours.


7/6/07 - 7pm FC= 3.5 PH= 7.6 ALK= 170 CYA= 0 --------added 1.75 pounds of Stabilizer.
7/7/07 - 6:30am- FC=12.5 PH=7.4 ALK=160 CYA=35 CC=1 TC=13.5 ------------------added 33oz. of %6 bleach
7/7/07 - 8am FC=16.0 ALK=160 CC=1 TC=17.0
7/7/07 - 12 noon FC=15.0 CC= 1 TC=16.0
7/7/07 - 4pm FC=12.5 PH=7.4 ALK=150 CYA=37 CC=1 TC=13.5 ----------------added 33 oz. of 6% bleach
7/7/07 - 7:25pm FC=17.5 CC=1 TC18.5
7/8/07 - 8am FC=16.0 PH=7.4 ALK=160 CYA=40 CC=1 TC17.0
7/8/07 - 12 noon FC=15.5 CC=1 TC=16.5
7/8/07 - 3:45pm FC=13.5 CC=1 TC=14.5 ----------------added 20 oz of 6% bleach
7/8/07 - 8:15pm FC=17.0 CC=1 TC=18.0
7/9/07 - 6am FC=15.0 CC=1 TC15.0


now, everyday I check the pool in the morning, there is some green algae floating on top, but plenty on the bottom....I assume this is the dead algae? I brush the walls and vacuum this up every morning.

so far, I can't get rid of the algae, if it ready is algae, which I think it is, cause it looks green and it's floating on the surface.
Now, there is a tree that over hangs about 1/2 the pool, could this be causing my algae problem?

and, is it safe for the children to go in if I'm keeping the Free chlorine at 15ppm? And, how long should I keep it at that level? until the algae goes away and will it ever go away with the tree hanging over half the pool, if it is the tree causing it?

help...

Greg

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Your numbers are behaving as if you either already have a substantial amount of CYA or no direct sunlight. Are you getting any direct sunlight on the pool during the day?

Are you sure it is algae and not just pollen? Algae will normally turn the water cloudy and green, while pollen will float or sink but not normally get into the main body of the water.

It may take several days, but you will get through this. Once things settle down it will get far easier to maintain the pool.

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

Could it be tree pollen? You do not say where you are located...

In any case, you have 1ppm CC's, so you need to keep shocking until that comes down. Dead algae is usually not green. Maybe bump your FC up a couple notches to about 20 and see if that helps to clear it. Maybe your CYA is a little higher than 40 now, so you need a bit higher FC to be effective.

I'm still voting for tree pollen, tho!

Remember, patience and persistence are the keys to a TFP!

 

[rpgman]

Yes it gets plenty of sunlight, that tree that overhangs doesn't block the sun at all....

it's these little green things that are floating on the top, and over night, there is stuff on the bottom.

 

[JohnT]

After that period of shocking, your algae should be dead. Dead algae is usually indicated by the water going to a blue-gray cloudy stage. Your notes seem to indicate you did a good job maintaining chlorine levels, so I'd suspect you are getting debris from your tree. That seems even more likely since you indicate you can see the bottom, which is uncommon with algae. If you have a cover for the pool, you might try covering it for a night or two and seeing if you notice a reduction in the green stuff or green stuff on the cover.

Welcome to the forum! You are our 1000th member!

 

[rpgman]

I'm in South Carolina, Pee Dee section....

but, this green stuff floating on the top,is oval like, and it's green, I'm not sure what color it is on the bottom, but it looks grayish....I'll try and take pictures later tonight.

is it safe for the children to go in at 15.0 PPM of Free Chlorine.

and, it doesn't look like pollen, it's oval shape mostly, and it's green floating on top, not much, but little bits. Sometimes the shapes are really oval and sometimes their kinda oval, or just a circular.

well, testing the CYA with a Taylor kit, I'm confident the CYA is around 40.

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

About the kids swimming... if they are of the "we love to drink the pool" persuasion, I would keep them out. Otherwise, don some old suits and enjoy. Rinse thoroughly upon exiting the water. (others here would disagree with me)

Usually 'floating' algae is not distinguishable in size or shape with the naked eye... it is just a green tint or green cloudiness in the water. I bet you have tree junk. Is it a china ball tree? (tallow tree?) they are disgustingly messy with all kinds of stuff, and in all seasons! If it is indeed this type of tree, you might want to consider relocating the pool.

Definitely try covering the pool at night, tho. If there is junk on the cover in the morning, you have your answer!

 

[rpgman]

I really don't know what type of tree it is, maybe it's an acorn tree, I know the leaves are small and it produces those helicopter leaves that fall during fall season...

but, did you see my FC dropped last night from 17.0 to 15.0? Why would it do that if it wasn't being used up fighting algae?

and, if it isn't algae, but pollen, is it safe to swim in....???

I really can't relocate the pool, that isn't a choice. Cause one thing it's only up seasonal, it's a metal frame vinyl intex pool you can take down and put up and we only use it during summer.

 

[JasonLion]

Chlorine gets consumed whenever there is organic debris in the water. A lot of pollen could use up 2 ppm, as could some algae that was almost dead. Really active algae would have used up all of the chlorine overnight.

If you have a microscope it is fairly easy to tell algae and pollen apart. You could also put out a bucket of tap water and see if you get the same stuff in it within 24 hours. Algae wouldn't get into the tap water enough to be visible for at least a few days.

 

[rpgman]

you mean put a bucket of tap water under the tree and see what happens?

I know after I filled up the pool on the morning of 07/01/07, there already was that green stuff floating on the top, so it wasn't 24 hours after I filled it, I had some stuff (algae or pollen) floating on the top and it took 17 hours to fill.

 

[JasonLion]

That is sounding more and more like pollen. Algae takes longer than that to get going.

 

[rpgman]

so, you never get rid of pollen? (of course since the pool is 1/2 way under the tree)

so, is it safe to swim in?

and, if so, can I start to level off my FC to around 5ppm now? Since it's not algae?

I'll try and take some pictures tonight of the floating stuff, and where the pool sits, etc.

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

even though it is not algae (IF it is not algae) your chlorine is trying to fight it. I would not hesitate to swim. I would however, be wary of dropping the FC level too low, since the pollen might use it up and algae or some other ickiness could take hold.

The tree will not pollinate all the time, just in the spring. (or summer, in this case!)

 

[rpgman]

so, at what level would you take the FC down too with a CYA between 30-50ppm?

right now it's at 15 as of 2Pm and they want to go swimming, so I'm letting them. But if it's pollen, at what leve would you keep it?

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

I would say 5-6. If it is holding overnight and your cc's go away, you could nudge it a little lower, but stay within the 3-6 range.

 

[rpgman]

I would say 5-6. If it is holding overnight and your cc's go away, you could nudge it a little lower, but stay within the 3-6 range.

btw I was wrong on all my cc's....I would only use a drop, and I was counting that as 1, but it should be counted as .5, so my cc's are acceptable.

 

[rpgman]

as promised..a pic of algae or pollen?.....hope I uploaded it correctly.

this is what's floating on the top, the image is a little out of focus, sorry.

 

[rpgman]

and a pic of the tree that is over the pool about 1/4 to 1/2.

 

[LadywithIron]

Ok, newby here too and I am confused because I thought that whenever FC was used up at night, it always showed up as CC, and that doesn't seem to be the case here:
7/8/07 - 8:15pm FC=17.0 CC=1 TC=18.0
7/9/07 - 6am FC=15.0 CC=1 TC15.0
Is this a testing mixup or does FC sometimes just totally disappear?

This looks like something falling in at night to me, either from the tree or something. I have a small pond that will develop algae before the end of the summer every year, but it takes a long time, and even then the algae is just on the sides some.

I noticed in another thread that you mentioned upgrading to a better pump, are you able to run a skimmer? I have tiny acorns that are falling in right now and the skimmer is catching them.

 

[rpgman]

yes I have a skimmer and an upgraded pump (Hayward sand filter) and I was running the pump 24/7 but tonight it's only running until midnight from 9pm, then back on at 6am till 10am....

the reason I got for the 17.0 to 15.0 FC loss overnight earlier in the thread, was that it was being used up maybe killing other things like pollen. But, they never said it tuned to CC.