Tks, all I can say is I hope no one has to deal with this stuff, and yeah the heat will kill ya right now, well make sure once yall get it, post some pics so we can see it. good luck on the rain holding off
Eventually I will get the hang of this algae
- Thread starter copotay
- Start date
I presume you didn't want to try and get rid of the yellow/mustard algae via the higher shock level and getting into anywhere it may hide. You mentioned you are going to use a copper algaecide. At least your risk of staining is lower with your vinyl liner, but if you use too much copper or let the pH get too high you can still get side effects including blonds getting greenish hair.
Personally, if I couldn't get rid of the algae, I'd try either 50 ppm Borates or weekly Polyquat 60 since neither have significant side effects. One could also maintain the FC at around 15% of the CYA level which for you would be 6 ppm, but that's understandably undesirable for the greater daily chlorine loss and chlorine being more noticeable in the pool.
Personally, if I couldn't get rid of the algae, I'd try either 50 ppm Borates or weekly Polyquat 60 since neither have significant side effects. One could also maintain the FC at around 15% of the CYA level which for you would be 6 ppm, but that's understandably undesirable for the greater daily chlorine loss and chlorine being more noticeable in the pool.
No I did not use it yet awaiting suggestions I just brought it up to yellow mustard at 24, was still seeing pockets of greenish brown on bottom through cloudy greenish water. It was at 10 FC when I checked at 5:00 pm. Maybe it's a superbug. DE'd the filter to start grabbing some of it instead of pumping in back into the pool, the sand would not catch it but looks like the DE is. Then I will backwash and go again once filter dirties. Btw, I thought I had whipped it and let my boy leave last week with the microscope before it hit so I could not get a specimen for us to view and I was not going to wait til he got back from Florida with his grandparents. He wanted to investigate the sealift up close. Let's see what this does
I hated to try that stuff with a high FC when it says to use at 3 - 5 ppm. Oh and my wife is a brunette, I don't think she would mind going green for awhile if it would keep the pool clean.
I hated to try that stuff with a high FC when it says to use at 3 - 5 ppm. Oh and my wife is a brunette, I don't think she would mind going green for awhile if it would keep the pool clean.
6:00 am held at 24, no CC, water slowly clearing, still cloudy and a slight greenish tint. Also as of last night the ladder has been removed and cleaned, nothing was found in or around the ladder. The small piece of foam in the skimmer float was removed and srubbed with straight chlorine along with the skimmer, found a little yellowing on the plastic and in the foam float. Those are the only two places where we could find that something might have been holding on.
6:00 pm TC 14.5 CC .05, clearer water green pockets, took sample waiting for microscope tomorrow will post pic. Filter down to a trickle, backwashed bright green came out. Quickly vac to waste as much green as I could. Reset with small amount of DE. brought level back to 24 and brushed greenish algae on floor which puffed into water. 7:00 pm water very clear no geenish tint filter pressure rose 4 pds. Waiting!!!!
Chemgeek: is the Bioguard optimizer plus the polyquat 60 equivelant? They have that at the local store
Chemgeek: is the Bioguard optimizer plus the polyquat 60 equivelant? They have that at the local store
Bioguard Optimizer Plus is sodium tetraborate pentahydrate so is similar (though not identical to) 20 Mule Team Borax. It will cause the pH to rise so you would have to add acid if you use it. 20 Mule Team Borax is cheaper and even getting boric acid which would not require any acid addition would be less expensive and easier. Up to you, of course.copotay said:
Polyquat 60 is available in many different algaecide brands -- you just need to look at the ingredients for Poly{oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)Ethylene (dimethyliminio)ethylene dichloride} at 60% concentration. You'd have to add that weekly which is obviously extra cost. That's why most people try to get rid of yellow/mustard algae completely, if possible.
6:00 am, FC 21.5, CC 0, back to 24. Water very clear, greenish brown on floor again, sweeping greenish clouds. Although pump was only at 21 psi still a good bit of flow coming out, backwashed lime green water out. Reset with DE. The water has cleared tremendously which I can only assume with the high chlorine and added cleaning power of DE in the sand filter has given me this, but the greenish brown still remains.
Chemgeek: got the microscope back and this is from the sample of greenish brown I took from the floor of the pool yesterday afternoon with the water relatively clear, this is one of those greenish brown patches
Also I think I will go with a polyquat 60, I found this under bioguard name(Algae All)and it's MSDS shows that chemical name that you said earlier. I assume I need to wait until I get to normal chlorine levels to add it, not while I am at Mustard shock?
http://www.bioguard.com/Our_Products/Al ... gae_All_60®
[attachment=2:2obfcwga]mustard 2.jpg[/attachment:2obfcwga]
[attachment=1:2obfcwga]mustard 3.jpg[/attachment:2obfcwga]
[attachment=0:2obfcwga]mustard 4.jpg[/attachment:2obfcwga]
Also I think I will go with a polyquat 60, I found this under bioguard name(Algae All)and it's MSDS shows that chemical name that you said earlier. I assume I need to wait until I get to normal chlorine levels to add it, not while I am at Mustard shock?
http://www.bioguard.com/Our_Products/Al ... gae_All_60®
[attachment=2:2obfcwga]mustard 2.jpg[/attachment:2obfcwga]
[attachment=1:2obfcwga]mustard 3.jpg[/attachment:2obfcwga]
[attachment=0:2obfcwga]mustard 4.jpg[/attachment:2obfcwga]
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Let us know how that works for you. Note some algae photos in this thread. It's hard to tell, but it looks like it might be yellow/mustard since the green algae pics tend to have the green spread more evenly within the cell. Hard to be definitive, though, except that it is definitely algae and not pollen or dirt.
I sure will.
2:00 pm, FC 17, water clear only light colored stuff seen on bottom not greenish brown like before, backwashed filter, slight green tint coming out, reset with DE, brought back to 24 for one more time, swept again for the 4th time today, which is easy to do when you are have to take off of work to take care of your pool.
2:00 pm, FC 17, water clear only light colored stuff seen on bottom not greenish brown like before, backwashed filter, slight green tint coming out, reset with DE, brought back to 24 for one more time, swept again for the 4th time today, which is easy to do when you are have to take off of work to take care of your pool.
Did not do the test yet but wanted to post a couple of pics of what it looks like now, again I had to backwash for pressure dwindling, and a very light tan hardly greenish water came out, reset DE and brushed again, found nothing standing out, hopefully that will do it and I will let it come down to regular levels, will be adding a full dose of the bioguard algae all in the morning (polyquat 60)
Edit: 7:30 pm FC 17.5, CC 0, Clear, clear, nothing on bottom, will check in morning for overnight loss, swept again for good measure
[attachment=0:5zdvtnv5]pic2fromted.JPG[/attachment:5zdvtnv5]
[attachment=1:5zdvtnv5]pic1fromted.JPG[/attachment:5zdvtnv5]
Edit: 7:30 pm FC 17.5, CC 0, Clear, clear, nothing on bottom, will check in morning for overnight loss, swept again for good measure
[attachment=0:5zdvtnv5]pic2fromted.JPG[/attachment:5zdvtnv5]
[attachment=1:5zdvtnv5]pic1fromted.JPG[/attachment:5zdvtnv5]
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8:00 am FC 17, CC 0, water clear clear clear, slight bit of brownish green residue along edges, will be vacumming to waste. Then will add heavy dose of Polyquat 60
Added 14 oz Polyquat 60 this morning.
2:00 pm FC 9, some of what believed to be lost when vacumming to waste.
CC 0
Cya 35 - 40, added stabilzer with sock to get 50, swept no green or brown found except earlier this morning we decided to take the top rail off and remove that sealed beam light seen in the picture. We found nothing on the outside but when I unscrewed it found green sling the plastic sleeve and on the rubber oring that keeps water out the light. The inside the light was fine and dry. Scrubbed soaked with Clorox. There is no way to clean this light without opening it up. It's the standard halogen hanging light for above ground pools.
6:00 pm, CLEAR as the day it was born and put water in it
Filter still doing good from this morning about 5 psi over norm
Put ladder back and for good measure injected straight Clorox into holes on each step after in water although we had already cleaned like that after taking it out. We will does this weekly
FC 7.5 brought to 9
CC 0
We will see how it goes from here on out and post accordingly if the mustard comes back but I will be dosing weekly with polyquat 60 and keeping my FC between 6 - 9 I just think with our weather and area in south Louisiana we need a little more up the norm scale for CYA/chlorine
2:00 pm FC 9, some of what believed to be lost when vacumming to waste.
CC 0
Cya 35 - 40, added stabilzer with sock to get 50, swept no green or brown found except earlier this morning we decided to take the top rail off and remove that sealed beam light seen in the picture. We found nothing on the outside but when I unscrewed it found green sling the plastic sleeve and on the rubber oring that keeps water out the light. The inside the light was fine and dry. Scrubbed soaked with Clorox. There is no way to clean this light without opening it up. It's the standard halogen hanging light for above ground pools.
6:00 pm, CLEAR as the day it was born and put water in it
Filter still doing good from this morning about 5 psi over norm
Put ladder back and for good measure injected straight Clorox into holes on each step after in water although we had already cleaned like that after taking it out. We will does this weekly
FC 7.5 brought to 9
CC 0
We will see how it goes from here on out and post accordingly if the mustard comes back but I will be dosing weekly with polyquat 60 and keeping my FC between 6 - 9 I just think with our weather and area in south Louisiana we need a little more up the norm scale for CYA/chlorine
I'm hopeful this vigorous regimen helps keep the pool clear for you guys this summer! Keep us posted!!! 
9:00 am FC 8 CC -0
2:30 pm FC 5.5 CC -0 added to go to 9, looks like sunlight is eating it up although I added CYA yesterday to get to 50, highs in 90s sun is hot
Did not DE sand filter letting it run as is no rise in pressure since yesterday water is sparkling only a hint here and there of what looks like dirt or dust on floor, swept, also added a 3 inch tab in a float to get some added CYA
First picture was from Tuesday second is today, Saturday
[attachment=0:7pxkg8fw]dirty pool 1 small.jpg[/attachment:7pxkg8fw]
[attachment=1:7pxkg8fw]photo.JPG[/attachment:7pxkg8fw]
2:30 pm FC 5.5 CC -0 added to go to 9, looks like sunlight is eating it up although I added CYA yesterday to get to 50, highs in 90s sun is hot
Did not DE sand filter letting it run as is no rise in pressure since yesterday water is sparkling only a hint here and there of what looks like dirt or dust on floor, swept, also added a 3 inch tab in a float to get some added CYA
First picture was from Tuesday second is today, Saturday
[attachment=0:7pxkg8fw]dirty pool 1 small.jpg[/attachment:7pxkg8fw]
[attachment=1:7pxkg8fw]photo.JPG[/attachment:7pxkg8fw]
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So far the polyquat 60 looks like its doing it's work, only a few bugs, grains of sand, and dark brown dirt here and there, etc. put the FC to 8 last night and tonight with the daily sun it burned down to 5, now there is a 3 inch puck floating around for some more CYA and keeping a little chlorine up to levels. Water is super clear and soft to touch, better than our Lafayette city water.
Going to add about 6 oz of PQ 60 on thursday to keep up the 14 I had put in last Thursday: chemgeek looks like that's the winner
For whomever reads this post and is fighting algae, the regimen I followed cleared my pool in four days. I will mention that since I have presumably killed the algae, that stuff I always thought was dirt from the air or sand from the filter, was not. The reason I say this is that over the last three days, same weather and grass cutting, only produced minimal, and I mean minimal, areas where there was a little sand and dirt, that took me five minutes to vacuum with my pool blaster max using three soft socks. Before what I was doing was vacumming the entire dirty floor believing it was dirt when it was mustard. Oh and I did clean an sanitize the Pool max making it run in a 5 gallon bucket of Clorox water mix. Hopefully this helps others.
Going to add about 6 oz of PQ 60 on thursday to keep up the 14 I had put in last Thursday: chemgeek looks like that's the winner
For whomever reads this post and is fighting algae, the regimen I followed cleared my pool in four days. I will mention that since I have presumably killed the algae, that stuff I always thought was dirt from the air or sand from the filter, was not. The reason I say this is that over the last three days, same weather and grass cutting, only produced minimal, and I mean minimal, areas where there was a little sand and dirt, that took me five minutes to vacuum with my pool blaster max using three soft socks. Before what I was doing was vacumming the entire dirty floor believing it was dirt when it was mustard. Oh and I did clean an sanitize the Pool max making it run in a 5 gallon bucket of Clorox water mix. Hopefully this helps others.
Tks alot, blood, sweat, and tears to get rid of that mustard, so hopefully it's now dead and I can move on