First, I've searched the forums, and I've read previous posts about black algae (some quite old). However, I haven't found exactly the conversation I'm looking for... so here goes.
I live in Austin, TX, with an in-ground pool with glass tile, epoxy grout, and a pebble mix plaster (name escapes me). As southerners already know, we don't close our pools here, so managing chemistry and algae are a year round fight. A couple of years ago I started seeing pockets of black algae forming on some of the grout... specifically on horizontal surfaces (steps, ledge).
I began fighting it by brushing and shocking the pool, but while that manages the green algae and other issues the black algae is largely impervious (unless I shock for weeks). A wire brush might help, but since the algae is on grout between glass tiles that's a nonstarter. I upped my game by using a handheld thinset saw thing to grind at the black algae, but that was time consuming and largely ineffective.
In a bid to win the war I started scrubbing with trichlor pucks, but that was only lightly effective... getting in the crack on the grout is hard, and the short exposure didn't really kill the algae. So, I switched to just taking pucks and sitting them on the tile/grout for days. THAT worked, so I slowly moved them around until all the algae was visibly gone. The only issue is that the pucks have a fixed shape, and they dissolve very slowly, meaning it takes awhile.
Recently I decided to try something new... I took some filter socks I have from a previous experiment, filled them with clorox trichlor granules, tied them up, and set them on the algae. THAT worked fast... I see progress in hours, with the algae just vanishing.
Okay, context provided, I have two questions for the assembled minds on this board.
1) Is there a downside to using the granules? I ask because obviously they dissolve quickly... I use LC and manually manage my CYA, so I should be able to keep that in check (around 40 now), and I test my chems regularly and will monitor FC. However, I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on using granules like this.
2) I've noticed that after the trichlor kills the algae my epoxy grout is a little bit yellow-ish... is there a reason why? It's a little like a synthetic shirt you bleach in the wash... is there a way to manage this or return it to a whiter/clearer appearance (my epoxy is starlike crystal grout for those interested, which is translucent).
3) Finally, does anyone have better ideas or thoughts on managing black algae I haven't thought of? Note that I manage my chems pretty actively and keep my FC up, the black algae just seems to be an unavoidable component of my environment.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Best,
Rick
I live in Austin, TX, with an in-ground pool with glass tile, epoxy grout, and a pebble mix plaster (name escapes me). As southerners already know, we don't close our pools here, so managing chemistry and algae are a year round fight. A couple of years ago I started seeing pockets of black algae forming on some of the grout... specifically on horizontal surfaces (steps, ledge).
I began fighting it by brushing and shocking the pool, but while that manages the green algae and other issues the black algae is largely impervious (unless I shock for weeks). A wire brush might help, but since the algae is on grout between glass tiles that's a nonstarter. I upped my game by using a handheld thinset saw thing to grind at the black algae, but that was time consuming and largely ineffective.
In a bid to win the war I started scrubbing with trichlor pucks, but that was only lightly effective... getting in the crack on the grout is hard, and the short exposure didn't really kill the algae. So, I switched to just taking pucks and sitting them on the tile/grout for days. THAT worked, so I slowly moved them around until all the algae was visibly gone. The only issue is that the pucks have a fixed shape, and they dissolve very slowly, meaning it takes awhile.
Recently I decided to try something new... I took some filter socks I have from a previous experiment, filled them with clorox trichlor granules, tied them up, and set them on the algae. THAT worked fast... I see progress in hours, with the algae just vanishing.
Okay, context provided, I have two questions for the assembled minds on this board.
1) Is there a downside to using the granules? I ask because obviously they dissolve quickly... I use LC and manually manage my CYA, so I should be able to keep that in check (around 40 now), and I test my chems regularly and will monitor FC. However, I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on using granules like this.
2) I've noticed that after the trichlor kills the algae my epoxy grout is a little bit yellow-ish... is there a reason why? It's a little like a synthetic shirt you bleach in the wash... is there a way to manage this or return it to a whiter/clearer appearance (my epoxy is starlike crystal grout for those interested, which is translucent).
3) Finally, does anyone have better ideas or thoughts on managing black algae I haven't thought of? Note that I manage my chems pretty actively and keep my FC up, the black algae just seems to be an unavoidable component of my environment.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Best,
Rick