Mustard algae

[gmccartn]

Help, please!!
We have been battling mustard algae for about a month. Have tried the SLAM method, then tried 2 rounds of Bacquacil mustard algae treatment. Making progress, but still have a small amount after vacuuming to waste. Current chemistry:fc-9.4
Cc-0.2,pH-7.4, TA-80, CYA-25, CH-132, phosphates-0, copper-0, iron-0, TDS-0.
Any ideas?? Planning to continue to SLAM….
TIA

 

[Bperry]

Help, please!!
We have been battling mustard algae for about a month. Have tried the SLAM method, then tried 2 rounds of Bacquacil mustard algae treatment. Making progress, but still have a small amount after vacuuming to waste. Current chemistry:fc-9.4
Cc-0.2,pH-7.4, TA-80, CYA-25, CH-132, phosphates-0, copper-0, iron-0, TDS-0.
Any ideas?? Planning to continue to SLAM….
TIA

You cannot perform a SLAM with pool store testing, you need one of the recommended test kits to perform testing yourself.

Heres a link to test kit options.

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

You can safely add 3-5ppm of liquid chlorine ONLY until the test kit arrives. Then post up the results from your test kit.

What exact baquacil product did you add? Some of that stuff can cause problems.

 

[Newdude]

CYA-25,
CH 132
TDS-0.

So you have dissolved solids, and also no dissolved solids?

This right here lets you know all you need to know about their accuracies. Or lack thereof.

 

[gmccartn]

You cannot perform a SLAM with pool store testing, you need one of the recommended test kits to perform testing yourself.

Heres a link to test kit options.

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

You can safely add 3-5ppm of liquid chlorine ONLY until the test kit arrives. Then post up the results from your test kit.

What exact baquacil product did you add? Some of that stuff can cause problems.

I use a Taylor test kit at home. Thanks, tho

 

[szap]

Is it possible you have sources of the algae on things like floats, pool steps, skimmer, etc.

 

[Bperry]

I use a Taylor test kit at home. Thanks, tho

Post results from that kit, then we can make recommendation. That kit cant measure CH of 132 or phosphates or any of that stuff so the results dont seem to match that kit.

The SLAM process also requires CYA of at least 30ppm. Read through the article and make sure you got the process down.

 

[gmccartn]

Possible-tho we have brushed around everything in pool -inside skimmers, around ladder, around returns,etc. Have washed all pool accessories & toys with bleach & put them in pool while hyperchlorinated. Have also changed pool sand and vacuumed to waste numerous times.
Thanks for your reply

 

[gmccartn]

So you have dissolved solids, and also no dissolved solids?

This right here lets you know all you need to know about their accuracies. Or lack thereof.

Thanks for your reply, @newdude tho I am not sure at ALL how it helps with my problem.

 

[Bperry]

Thanks for your reply, @newdude tho I am not sure at ALL how it helps with my problem.

See my edited post above. Maybe I mistook your test results for pool store testing?

 

[gmccartn]

Post results from that kit, then we can make recommendation. That kit cant measure CH of 132 or phosphates or any of that stuff so the results dont seem to match that kit.

The SLAM process also requires CYA of at least 30ppm. Read through the article and make sure you got the process down.

They are included in my 1st post (along with some results from pool store from yesterday that I don’t test for with my Taylor kits.) As of this morning, my results are FC-10.4, Cc-0.4, pH-7.8, TA-90
Thanks for your reply.

 

[gmccartn]

Post results from that kit, then we can make recommendation. That kit cant measure CH of 132 or phosphates or any of that stuff so the results dont seem to match that kit.

The SLAM process also requires CYA of at least 30ppm. Read through the article and make sure you got the process down.

Done in latest post.
Thanks

 

[gmccartn]

You cannot perform a SLAM with pool store testing, you need one of the recommended test kits to perform testing yourself.

Heres a link to test kit options.

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

You can safely add 3-5ppm of liquid chlorine ONLY until the test kit arrives. Then post up the results from your test kit.

What exact baquacil product did you add? Some of that stuff can cause problems.

 

[Newdude]

tho I am not sure at ALL how it helps with my problem.

It's going to help you understand why you don't trust the pool store tests. *That* will help you alot.

Re-read SLAM Process thoroughly. Follow it to a T. For example, having a 30 CYA, then going to mustard algae slam for 24 hours at completion of the regular slam.

Particularly look for any hiding in plain sight spots that were missed last time. Ladder rails, light niches, auto fills, etc.

 

[gmccartn]

Sorry @Bperry -forgot to include this in my answer to your original question.
This is the bacquacil product we used.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Bperry]

They are included in my 1st post (along with some results from pool store from yesterday that I don’t test for with my Taylor kits.) As of this morning, my results are FC-10.4, Cc-0.4, pH-7.8, TA-90
Thanks for your reply.

If your CYA test was not quite 30ppm, we always round up to the nearest 10ppm. So your SLAM FC should be brought back up to 12ppm as often as practical.

What type of chlorine are you using to stay at SLAM level?

I can save you some money by recommending you use the 10ml testing method for the FC so each drop is 0.5ppm instead of 0.2ppm. The smaller accuracy isnt needed and your test supplies will last longer.

Can you post a picture of the water? I wouldnt recommend adding any more algaecide if thats what the baquacil stuff was.

 

[gmccartn]

It's going to help you understand why you don't trust the pool store tests. *That* will help you alot.

Re-read SLAM Process thoroughly. Follow it to a T. For example, having a 30 CYA, then going to mustard algae slam for 24 hours at completion of the regular slam.

Particularly look for any hiding in plain sight spots that were missed last time. Ladder rails, light niches, auto fills, etc.

THANKS-THIS answer could actually help with my problem!!
I test with Taylor kits almost daily (sometimes a couple of times a day) but use my local pool store to “fill in the gaps” for things such as CYA, which I find to be very subjective with my home kit & phosphates, which I can’t test for with my kits. I have found when comparing my results with theirs, that we are always very close in our chemical analysis.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Bperry]

Sorry @Bperry -forgot to include this in my answer to your original question.
This is the bacquacil product we used.
Thanks for your help!

Thats a new one I havent seen, but generally sulphates in the water are bad for stone and concrete. You dont need to use it to clear algae though.

 

[Bperry]

THANKS-THIS answer could actually help with my problem!!
I test with Taylor kits almost daily (sometimes a couple of times a day) but use my local pool store to “fill in the gaps” for things such as CYA, which I find to be very subjective with my home kit & phosphates, which I can’t test for with my kits. I have found when comparing my results with theirs, that we are always very close in our chemical analysis.
Thanks for your help!

If they gave you a TDS of zero then thats impossible. Only distilled water has a TDS of zero.

They also happen to be pretty bad at CYA testing. Dont ever trust that one.

 

[gmccartn]

If they gave you a TDS of zero then thats impossible. Only distilled water has a TDS of zero.

They also happen to be pretty bad at CYA testing. Dont ever trust that one.

Thanks for the heads up! Makes sense.

 

[gmccartn]

If your CYA test was not quite 30ppm, we always round up to the nearest 10ppm. So your SLAM FC should be brought back up to 12ppm as often as practical.

What type of chlorine are you using to stay at SLAM level?

I can save you some money by recommending you use the 10ml testing method for the FC so each drop is 0.5ppm instead of 0.2ppm. The smaller accuracy isnt needed and your test supplies will last longer.

Can you post a picture of the water? I wouldnt recommend adding any more algaecide if thats what the baquacil stuff was.

Gotcha! Thanks.
Here is my water-it’s cloudy here, so may not have a good picture. It’s actually crystal clear. Can see a tiny spot of algae back after my husband vacuumed to waste about 2 1/2 hrs ago. (The 1st photo was before vacuuming.)
I think I am gonna add another dose of chlorine to bring my fc up to 12 & go from there. And leave off the Bacquacil!
Thanks for your help!!