newbie struggle with mustard algae

[xiaobulu]

Before and During Pics

First of all, thank TFP for helping a pool dummy like me to take back control of my pool. Richard320's pool school is much better than Leslie's! I am so glad I found this site two weeks ago.

I wanted to show you guys some "after" pictures but it will take a long time to get there. So here are some "before" and "during" pictures.

 

[xiaobulu]

"During" pictures are here

Sorry. Did not know the limit of 3 files.

Here is my pool now, looking better than ever Thanks to TFP!

 

[superman0604]

Re: Before and During Pics

Nice looking pool you have there. Making me jealous.

 

[xiaobulu]

Remaining problems

As you can see, the yellow scaling has faded significantly, but still there. I will try the low pH, low TA, plus frequent wire brushing treatment. More to learn.

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Before and During Pics

Keep similar posts under the same thread so everyone can understand the continuity of your story.

 

[xiaobulu]

Re: Before and During Pics

Right, sorry. I am newbie in many ways

Keep similar posts under the same thread so everyone can understand the continuity of your story.

 

[cramar]

Re: Before and During Pics

pool looks great

 

[xiaobulu]

Re: Before and During Pics

Updates...

A month after I came to this site. Thank you for all your help! My pool has come a long way. But I still have problems. So here are more questions. Please give me some suggestions.

I am mostly struggling with the yellow stain on the walls and floor. It keeps coming back after a couple of days, not as bad as shown in the "before" pictures, but could come quite close to that. It is not all over like before. It looks as if there is a level line, to the point where I drained the water down to during the "drain and fill" process. It's quite clean above the line, but with yellow stains below the line. When I brush, most of the newly developed yellow dusts come off easily. The stains would lighten but not disappear. With added chlorine and the pump on, it looks close to the "during" pictures. Then when I stop brushing for a day or so, there will be a new layer of yellow again.

I try to maintain the FC level at 5-7. Daily drop is about 1.5. CC has never been over 0.5. I am also trying to lower pH and TA by adding muratic acid. But it is going on slowly. The pump is on for 6 hours a day.

The numbers....
FC 6.5
CC <0.5
pH 7.4
TA 125
CH 350
CYA 40
Water is clear

 

[march2012]

Re: Before and During Pics

Did you pass the overnight chlorine loss test?

regardless your pool is not "clear" so you need to shock

 

[Swampwoman]

Re: Before and During Pics

Does the yellow act like mustard algae? If so, you may wish to use mustard algae shock levels. If you didn't before, you might wish to check/clean the light niche and other hiding spots.

 

[xiaobulu]

Re: Before and During Pics

I did go through the algae shock process after the refill. Please see this thread. I can do it again and I think I should. But the thing is, I can't seem to be able to make the stain disappear even at algae shock chlorine level and diligent wire brushing. I tried spot treat one area with pucks and fierce brushing that particular spot. Even so, it doesn't go off completely. I consulted Richard320 since he has seen my pool. He thought the scaling is imbedded with algae and cannot come off easily. So I am also trying to lower pH and TA with muratic acid. I also ordered a small wire brush, which might help with the lights and corners. Still, I am not sure how a new shock process would be different from last time. How do I know the process is over? I could pass the three standards and yet still have remaining stain. Or maybe the remaining stain means the "clear water" standard is not passed? Then I should keep shocking until all the stains disappear? I am afraid it will never end

 

[march2012]

Re: Before and During Pics

I did go through the algae shock process after the refill. Please see this thread. I can do it again and I think I should. But the thing is, I can't seem to be able to make the stain disappear even at algae shock chlorine level and diligent wire brushing. I tried spot treat one area with pucks and fierce brushing that particular spot. Even so, it doesn't go off completely. I consulted Richard320 since he has seen my pool. He thought the scaling is imbedded with algae and cannot come off easily. So I am also trying to lower pH and TA with muratic acid. I also ordered a small wire brush, which might help with the lights and corners. Still, I am not sure how a new shock process would be different from last time. How do I know the process is over? I could pass the three standards and yet still have remaining stain. Or maybe the remaining stain means the "clear water" standard is not passed? Then I should keep shocking until all the stains disappear? I am afraid it will never end

The remaining "dust" means that you havent passed clear water. As swamp woman suggested you might need mustard algae shock levels.

Are you able to get a sample of the dust to look at under a microscope? Seeing if it is pollen vs algae would be really helpful.

 

[xiaobulu]

Re: Before and During Pics

The remaining "dust" means that you havent passed clear water. As swamp woman suggested you might need mustard algae shock levels.

Are you able to get a sample of the dust to look at under a microscope? Seeing if it is pollen vs algae would be really helpful.

I might be able to access a microscope. How to tell the difference? I doubt it would be pollen though. We do not seem to have yellow pollen around this area. It is probably algae.

I did shock at mustard algae level last time (FC=24). The "dust" were gone before I ended the process. But some "stain" remains (please see my "remaining problem" pictures earlier in this thread). They were significantly lightened but are still there. They are very stubborn. They do not come off with regular brushing. In order to know whether I would ever be able to get rid of them, I hold a chlorine puck against one area, got into the water, and used a wire brush to scrub that particular area closely. But it would still not completely disappear, maybe because they are imbedded with the scaling, as suggested by Richard.

I am not sure how to do it differently this time. If I need to hold FC at 24 until all the stains are gone, I don't know when or whether it would happen. That means a lot of scrubbing and chlorine, without seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. That's why I am dreading about it.

 

[xiaobulu]

My pool has a recurring mustard algae problem. I have done an 80% drain and fill to lower the cya. I shocked after the fill. My pool looked much better afterwards. But the algae keeps coming back. I know I need to be more thorough. So I am starting again. I really want to do it right this time. I won 't have much time once school starts.

I am new to taking care of the pool? only learned which valve does what a month ago. I did read pool school but still not quite sure how to proceed, especially after the recent failed attempt. I will report the progress frequently to make sure I do not repeat my mistakes. Please help? Many thanks?

8/24 dusk. fc is 5.5?cc?0.5?ph is 7.6. We added 2 gallons of 10% liquid chlorine and 1 gallon of 14.5% muratic acid . Brushed walls and floor (some yellow dusts came off. ) Turned the pump on. Tested again at 10:30pm ? fc is 17.

 

[duraleigh]

We need to know your CYA level before we can suggest what to do next. Why did you add the acid?

 

[xiaobulu]

Thanks for your reply. The cya is 40. We added the acid because pool school says to keep ph at the lower side (7.2-7.4) while shocking and we have high ch, high TA, and scaling.

 

[257WbyMag]

The key to your defeating the algae is persistence. Your shock level is an FC of 16. You could go even further and use chem geek's chlorine/CYA data for mustard algae and use a shock level FC of 24. The better you are at keeping your FC and shock level, the better you will do.

Keep in mind that when you are shocking and your FC is 10 or more, your pH can read higher than it really is. We don't recommend lowering pH unless you can get a reliable reading and those tend to happen only when the FC is below 10 or so.

 

[duraleigh]

Please keep your "story" under one thread. I have merged your threads in order for you to get better responses.

Attention all newbies. It is quite difficult to answer issues with insight when the story is spread over more than one thread. Few of us can remember all the issues we post about so when you split up your information, few of us will go to the trouble to try to piece it back together. Stay in the thread you start....even if there is a time lapse.

 

[xiaobulu]

Thank you. Is there a way for me to merge my own posts?

Please keep your "story" under one thread. I have merged your threads in order for you to get better responses.

Attention all newbies. It is quite difficult to answer issues with insight when the story is spread over more than one thread. Few of us can remember all the issues we post about so when you split up your information, few of us will go to the trouble to try to piece it back together. Stay in the thread you start....even if there is a time lapse.

 

[xiaobulu]

The key to your defeating the algae is persistence. Your shock level is an FC of 16. You could go even further and use chem geek's chlorine/CYA data for mustard algae and use a shock level FC of 24. The better you are at keeping your FC and shock level, the better you will do.

Keep in mind that when you are shocking and your FC is 10 or more, your pH can read higher than it really is. We don't recommend lowering pH unless you can get a reliable reading and those tend to happen only when the FC is below 10 or so.

We tested pH before we shocked. The original FC level was 5.5.

This morning (8/25) around 9am, FC=17 and CC<0.5. The water itself is clear, but the yellow stains on walls and floor remained. Does it mean we passed the overnight chlorine loss test and the CC criterion, but not the 3rd criterion?

8/25 around 11am, FC=11 and CC<0.5. The water itself is clear. The yellow stains on walls and floor lightened but remain (look like the "during" pictures). We tried to brush some spots, but they did not come off, no more yellow dust coming loose. We added 2.6 gallons of 10% chlorine to reach mustard algae shock level (FC=24).