Not sure if algae or what?

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ddavis1975

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Apr 10, 2011
17
For the past few weeks, when I test my water each afternoon it is almost always dead on the following: FC = 3.0, CC = 0, pH = 7.6, Alk = 7, CYA = 30, and Cal doesn't matter as I have a 24 foot round by 52'' Intex above ground with vinyl liner. It is sparkling crystal clear on the top, but the bottom has patches of brownish orange - almost sandy like material. I can vacuum it up and it comes back by the next day. I have to vacuum every 2 days or so to keep the bottom looking decent, but I can't seem to get it cleared up. It doesn't seem to me to be normal vacuuming maintenance. I think something it present. The CC never registers.

I would like to post a picture, but my pic is 2M in size and exceeds the 256K file size. How do I adjust that?
 
1. I will do an OCLT tonight.
2. I was deciding between vaccuuming to waste and then shocking or vice versa.
3. I do not have a picassa web site account or anything. I will see if I can come up with a link.
 
I was thinking of vacuuming but letting it go in the yard and not though the return. Then shock it just in case. I would still do a test tonight and an OCLT in morning. Would that be okay? Also, I am going to spray my ladder with bleach and scrub with a brush just in case there is some algae lurking in the ladder that keeps feeding in and dying.
 
You're not alone! Been dealing with the same thing along with a few other people I've read. I've had spot on numbers and passed every OCLT I've done. I've kept FC up along with DE in my sand filter and it's helping A LOT. So, whether it's a weird algae or plain ole dirt, I'm not backing down til it's outta here.
 
I'll second that you're not alone! What is this stuff? Looks the same as mine too. Passed OCLT both times I did it. Vacuumed again yesterday. I think there was less today.

Seems like some really fine something that gets gathered up with a current. (Was not showing at all the other day then appeared after I made my obligatory pool time whirlpool...)
 
Well. I vacuumed into the yard. Had to add tap water to get back up to the return. It looked perfect with the pump off. At 8pm I checked it last night and had the following: (btw I had the idea of getting my water off the bottom to test since it always shows 0.0 CC. Ha I was right)
FC = 3.0, CC= 0.5, pH= 7.6, Alk = 70, CYA = 30. I followed the pool Calculator site and added 190 oz of 8.25% bleach to raise to a 12.0.

I checked at 10pm (off the top near the return): FC = 12 and CC = 0.0

This morning at 6am. FC = 12 and CC = 0.0.

So, I passed the OCLT, but the stuff is back already. It isn't as bad a before, but when the pump is on it seems to build up. I am located in N. Alabama. Where is everyone? I wonder if some of us have something in common. There are a lot of pecan trees nearby, but I haven't had problems the past 4 years.

From reading other threads, some think this stuff is dirt/sediment that stirs up and settles, but I don't think so. Others think a type of algae/organic that groups together and stays near the bottom allowing the top water to stay crystal clear. My idea of testing the bottom water seems to validate that. I didn't get in the pool at 10pm and 6am to get water off the bottom, but I would expect it to show a slight CC vs the top. Then it would fail the test. I can't vacuum into the yard every day. The pressure on the hose is high and it collapses since there is no return water resistance to lower pressure a bit.

The trick may be the vacuum frequently and keep shocking and brushing walls and hopefully it will get better day by day.
 

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How many hours daily are you running your pump? What size (gpm rating) filter do you have?

Your issues are not related to testing from the bottom or top. All pool water samples should be taken roughly 12-18" below the surface.
 
I run it 8 hours per day per recommended for my size pool and wash the filter out every few days. Now I am going to run it 24-7 till it is all cleared up. I have used the same Intex B filters that came with the pool all 4 years. I don't see a identified grain rating on it. I see one place at the top of the filter that says Intex 080. Might that be it?
 
Intex pumps and filters are very under powered and, as a result, really slow down the time it takes to clear a pool.

That said, running your pump 24/7 and doing what you can to remove all the visible debris should get your pool to start clearing again.

Keep your FC up.
 
Well, the pool was clear this morning but the bottom had the sandy looking "stuff". I left pump running all day and was gone. This afternoon I got in and checked it and was surprised to find that for the first time this summer that it was cloudy and there was more brown stuff than this morning but not half as much as when I vacuumed yesterday. I checked the chemicals and found FC = 3.0 and CC = 0.5. Humm, so I usually have 0.0 CC, but for the only two times all summer had 0.5 reading last night and this pm. This was after I had 0.09 CC readings at 10 pm last night and early this morning. Also, usually when I shock it, the next night my free chlorine is 5-7 range and I don't have to add. Today with the 0.5 CC, only 3.0 FC after shocking to 12, and the cloudy water I decided to shock again and keep the pump running. Maybe in a few days and after vacuuming more it will clear. I will try to post another pic when I get time - maybe tomorrow. Good luck to all that have this same junk attacking their pool too.
 
That is almost surely dead algae in your pool. You are finding it each day because you are not holding your FC high enough long enough. You are playing patty cake with the algae instead of hitting it with a sledgehammer. (SLAM)

If you will SLAM the pool correctly (doing EVERYTHING the article calls for) for a few days, the algae will be gone and you can stop waking up to that wispy debris on the bottom of your pool floor each morning.

Forget the CC test until your pool water is crystal clear and free of debris. Then, perform the OCLT and you will pass with flying colors and have a crystal pool the rest of the swim season (if you keep your chlorine adequate).
 
This looks exactly like the stuff at the bottom of my pool! I've been SLAMming mine at 17-18FC w a CYA of 40 and it's not getting rid of it. Just like you said--water is crystal clear--but bottom has this stuff on it. I'm going to SLAM it at the suggested level for mustard algae and see what happens.

(I am in Maine)
 
Debris on the pool floor needs to be vacuumed out, or at least, brushed up so it is suspended in the pool water and will filter out.

I sense some folks don't want to do that because it makes the pool cloudy....it's not optional - you have to physically remove it (or brush it) whenever you see it
 
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