Algae Problem? Not sure if this is Algae or not..

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D

dabobcan

0
Apr 21, 2008
11
Hey there,

Just got my pool up and running and the numbers near perfect (my test kit only shows up to "5" as a level of chlorine):

5+ FC & TC
7.2-7.4 pH
90-100 Alkalinity

I am using a mineral treatment that I have had great success with the last couple years called C-Pool and once I had the numbers balanced I added my pool opening dosage of C-Pool and had the pump running for 24 hours straight.

Thats when I noticed these patches of what look like darkish green fuzz on the bottom of the pool in some places (mainly under where the jets are and the drain in the deepend). I have attached the pictures, the "algae" I'm thinking of is the dark or what looks like shadowy spots in the pictures.

The first time I saw the patches I vaccuumed them all up no problem but a day later the same amount showed up in almost the exact same places so I'm not sure if its just getting sent back through the filter or not.

Overall the pool water is crystal clear though and if not for these mystery patches of "algae" I would be swimming right now.

Thanks for any advice everyone!
 

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It could be algae, but you may want to have your copper level checked. C-pool is copper-sulfate, and if the copper level gets high enough, it could be reacting with the chlorine, particularly if the water is passing through a chlorinator before coming through the returns.
 
duraleigh: The C-Pool is a copper-sulfate mineral treatment ( http://www.debmar.com/pool/what.html )

If the copper levels are too high and the chlorine is reacting with the copper then is the green stuff dangerous? Is the stuff that re-appeared just coming back through the filter or is it the product or more copper and chlorine reacting?

Is there something I can add to the water to reduce the copper level if it is indeeed high?

Thanks guys!

Edit: Oh and no there is no chlorinator..but this stuff did only start appearing after I threw the C-Pool in the water.
 
1. I'm fairly confident that's algae

2. Your test results indicate chlorine in the pool but you say there is no chlorinator....where is the chlorine coming from?

3. Is there any CYA (stabilizer) in your pool?

4. What state do you live in?

Help us understand how you've been keeping the pool clear for the last two years (It can't be with just c-pool) and we'll get a better picture of what's up and how to get it fixed
 
The chlorine present in the pool is only from shocking it with liquid chlorine from the pool store. I took the cover off the pool from the winter 3 days ago, and the pH was around 5-6 so I added a few pounds of baking soda to get it back up and then added a jug (pretty sure its 1 gallon) of liquid chlorine. I ran the pump for 5 or 6 hours after this and then checked the numbers the next day. They were all back to normal so I went ahead with the C-Pool.

No, I havent added any stabilizer to the pool and haven't for the past two years. Basically my routine last year was open the pool, balance everything, add the opening dosage of C-Pool and then its a small dosage of C-Pool one a week after that and keeping the pool chlorinated. If a storm came in or something and knocked the pH lower I would add some baking soda to get it back up and that is about it. Kept the pool crystal clear all summer last year.

I guess I was under the impression that the C-Pool was acting as my stabilizer as I didnt have to add anything but chlorine for the most part of the summer.

Oh and I live in Ontario (Canada).

Thanks!
 
Hey everyone,

Here are the results from the pool store..

Volume: 21000 Gallons
pH : 7.6
Total Chlorine: 3
Free Chlorine: 3
Total Alkalinity: 80 (says I need to raise this)
Adjusted Alkalinity (??? says it adjusts to account for high stabilizer levels): 59
Stabilizer: 70
Calcium Hardness: 120 (reccomended I raise this)
Copper: 0 (dont think he ran this test)


Thanks for any further suggestions everyone.
 
I just went out to the pool again to try and scoop some of the mystery green stuff out of the water but my skimmer net wouldnt grab any of it and when I disturbed the green stuff it just dissolved into the water.

Does algae do this? I thought it stuck fairly well to whatever it was attached to?
 

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There are different kinds of algae, some sticks, some spreads out in the water, and some drifts about and sometimes drifts together to form clumps.

One thing that sometimes happens, particularly with higher CYA numbers, is that the FC level and the algae are just about in balance. The algae isn't killed off completely, but most of it dies, more grows and then dies. The dead algae can then form drifts on the bottom that look much like what your pictures show.

Assuming your FC numbers are right and the pool stores FC numbers are wrong then your numbers look alright. With CYA/stabilizer around 70 you need to keep FC at 5 or above, which your numbers say you have.
 
Ok, I see your numbers and they report having stabilizer of 70 which is fine and FC of 3 which is fine for now. I still am trying to determine how you are getting chlorine in your pool. It is not coming from the c-pool so you are putting something else in the pool.....

and keeping the pool chlorinated.
Click to expand...
that short quote from you tells me you're doing it I just want to know what product you are doing it with and how often you are putting it in.
 
The chlorine present in the pool is only from shocking it with liquid chlorine from the pool store.

I had it in a reply to your post above but you might have missed over it. Would you guys reccomend me throwing in another jug of liquid chlorine and just shocking the Crud out of anything in the water?

My FC and TC numbers COULD be wrong, I mean all my kit does is compare colours so my judgement might be a little off?
 
It very well could be copper carbonate precipitating out. From the product label that I looked up on the Pan Products info page:
http://pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Product ... _NR=071537
this product is really just copper sulfate along with mostly other unlisted ingredients as a diluter so it becomes, in effect, very expensive copper sulfate.

Copper sulfate is NOT a good pool additive and really is not necessary. All it really is is an algaecide. If you are maintaining the pool properly algaecide should NOT be necessary. C-pool is most likely just copper sulfate. That is what these type of products generally are.
As far as your test results this is right from the C-pool webite for proper water balance and it's actually not to far from what you should be shooting for:

Do I still have to balance the water when using the C-Pool Mineral Treatment?
Yes. When your pool water is not properly balanced, you can run into a number of problems when operating your pool (sore eyes, cloudy water, itchy feeling on skin, staining on liner). When using the mineral product method or other methods, you are still required to maintain a balanced reading. Remember, it is important to maintain the correct balance of water when operating your pool. The recommended balanced readings are as follows:

Chlorine 1.0 ppm - 2.0 ppm
Bromine 2.0 ppm - 3.0 ppm
pH 6.8 - 7.6
Stabilizer 25 ppm - 35 ppm (only in chlorine pools)
Alkalinity 80 ppm - 150 ppm
Hardness 150 ppm - 250 ppm



As far as that goes if you are using copper you should not let your FC drop below 2 ppm if you want to maintain sanitized water. Your stabilizer is a bit high at 70 ppm unless you have a SWG then it's good. Copper does require a lower pH to prevent staining so that is why the recommended range is 6.8 to 7.6 instead of 7.2 to 7.8 . Calcium hardness really depends on the surface of your pool. If it's vinyl then 150 ppm is fine. For fiberglass 200 ppm is good. For plaster 200 ppm is the minimum it should be.
Alkalinity really depends on the kind of chlorine you are using. If you are using unstabilized chlorine such as liquid chlorine or bleach, cal hypo, or lithium hypochlorite then you want it around 60-80 ppm. If you are using dichlor granules or trichlor tabs then you want it around 100-120 ppm but be aware that either of this WILL cause your stablizer to rise.

I love the way these companies call them 'mineral treatments' instead of metal treatments since 'minerals' in your water sound much more 'spa like' and healthy than saying metals in your water. If you check on recommened levels for metals in the water from any reputable pool source they will tell you that 0 ppm metals is what you want!

When copper is used as an algaecide it is usually dosed at .3 ppm for preventive maintenance and .6 ppm to kill an outbreak. Some copper based sanitizers and ionizers actually raise the copper levels to 1 ppm, which can lead to staining.

One final thing. Green hair is caused by copper in the water....PERIOD! You run a real risk of ending up with green hair if anyone blond or with chemically processed hair (tinted, permed, or relaxed) or sun damaged hair goes in the pool.


EDIT: I just checked the C-pool website:
http://www.c-pool.ca/generalpoolcare.html
and they recommend maintaining between a .5 and 1 ppm copper level. This is pretty standard for copper sulfate based 'sanitizers' and ionizer units.
 
Thanks for the reply waterbear,

If it is the copper carbonate precipitating out, how do I prevent that from happening? How do I make it go away for good?

Vaccuuming gets rid of it but it reappeared the next day, should I just keep vaccuuming it up and hope it doesnt re-appear or is there something I can throw in the water to bring the copper level down?

Thanks
 
First thing to do is get your copper levels tested along with a full set of test results for all other parameters:
FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, and CYA.

Reread my previous post. I just edited it and added quite a bit more info.
 
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