Recent content by BobStrauss

Thanks all. I went with the “acid magic” stuff they sell at Leslie’s. With a pool as small as mine one gallon might last me the summer.

Was thinking of a Pool Blaster Max handheld vac ($200), or perhaps the Aiper Seagull 600 robot vac ($270). Looking for something to pick up mostly fine sand/silt in our stock tank pool. Been using the cheapo Walmart mesh vac that connects to a hose, but it's a pain to connect/disconnect, and...

I’ve got a stock tank pool (tiny, ~ 600 gallons) that I’ve had since early last year. Using the TFP app I had very few issues last season keeping it balanced. All I really used was liquid chlorine, CYA, and dry acid to deal with high pH. I know that muriatic acid is said to be the best...

Thanks for the advice! So when it gets cooler, the FC should last longer, even with sun exposure? I would love a salt water chlorinator, but I’ve been told that it’s a bad idea for galvanized stock tanks. If that’s incorrect, though, I’d be happy to make the switch.

I’ve got a stock tank pool that is buried roughly a foot deep in my backyard in San Antonio, TX. Soon it will be too cold to use, and though I’d always figured on draining it at end of season, now I’m thinking that could be a bad idea. I’d hate to have it shift in the off-season if not weighted...

Hmmm not the magical solution I was hoping for but thanks for letting me know. Would it be dumb next year to get a sand filter instead, then just keep using the spa cleaner solution to get things cleared? Does the floc gum up those as well?

Let us know how it goes. I’ve had a tank up all summer and have had issues dealing with surface scum (from sunscreen, bug spray, etc) due to not having a surface skimmer - just posted looking for answers. Overall it’s been a success though, hope you enjoy yours as well.

So I’ve got a stock tank pool that I put together earlier this summer. Using the TF-100 kit, I’ve been able to keep the water under control without any algae blooms or anything. Latest numbers are FC 6.0, CC 0.0, TA 60, pH 7.5, CH 200, CYA 50, Borates 50. However, one ongoing issue I have is...

Regarding lotions: oh yeah, my wife slathers herself and my son in tons of sunscreen before going outside. I put on bug spray myself, so that might add to it. Not sure regarding the calcium, I just assume it’s normal for our area (San Antonio) since we basically live on limestone. The water...

Now I’m wondering if I need to shock the pool? Yesterday I added chlorine to up the number to 5.5 (had measured 1 FC and 0.5 CC), but this morning it had already plunged to 0.5 FC and 1.0 CC. I’m also noticing an oily film on the surface that won’t go away, even with excess pump runtimes and use...

Since I’m in central Texas, which is oppressively hot, would it be a good idea raising CYA to 50-60, and then FC according to the chart you posted? I’ll look into some kind of shade, but ideally I would like to lower temps some other way - fountain return perhaps? Thanks again for the advice!

Checked again this morning before correcting: FC 1.5 CC 0.5 Should I start erring on the high side since it drops so low every day? The app calculates a correction to 4 ppm, but would it be better to aim for 5 or 6 instead? Regarding a cover, would using one increase temperature in the pool...

So I’m a TFP noob with a 7.5’ round stock tank (~620 gallons) in Central Texas. Using an Intex 1500 gph cartridge filter, and the water in our area is pretty dang hard. I have the TF-100 kit, and after a few days filled now I got the following readings this morning: FC: 1.0 CC: 0.5 pH: 7.7...

Are pump filter baskets standard with most of these? I certainly do expect leaves to fall in, so it's probably something I should include. Maybe something like these...