Recent content by taekwondodo

  1. taekwondodo

    Anyone ever turn a swimming pool into a fish pond?

    There are several people who have done it - if you want more information on it you can check out koiphen.com. The biggest problems are the plumbing/filtration - most pools rely on pressure/suction flow via the pump and 1-1/2 to 2" piping isn't a problem. The better pond systems rely on gravity...
  2. taekwondodo

    Interesting article on CYA/FC levels...

    Also, Do you know of any papers with data showing consumption of FC vs. hours of sunlight vs. CYA? Thanks.
  3. taekwondodo

    Interesting article on CYA/FC levels...

    Thank you for the info - I was looking across the web for something else and ran across this, and was interested in your take. I also manage CYA in all of our pools, with a goal of starting the season around ~30ppm of CYA - with a max of ~60PPM at the end of the season. All pools are also...
  4. taekwondodo

    Interesting article on CYA/FC levels...

    I was looking for something else, and found this - seems to be contrary to the CYA chart... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... 3-0245.pdf - Jeff
  5. taekwondodo

    Ducks...

    They didn't come back this year... I guess we now know the lifespan of a duck!
  6. taekwondodo

    FAS-DPD Testing accuracy

    I find more variation in the amount of water in the vial tends to lead-to different results. While "10ml" is what's asked for, depending on how you read/fill the vial - even when it "looks" identical, can actually vary the results. Also, how you hold the dropper when putting in the reagent can...
  7. taekwondodo

    Is it okay to toss tablets in pool?

    Can't see if you have a vinyl or gunite pool, but don't do it. Vinyl will bleach - leaving an irreversible light hockey-puck area where the puck dissolved. Worse if it is plaster - pucks are highly acidic... they will permanantly etch the plaster where they sit, and if there's no circulation...
  8. taekwondodo

    Can Phos-free be used in lieu of shock?

    A lot of pool guys I know are dead-set on using these as well... so set, that Phosphate removers are now a "religion". The belief is as strong as any other type of religion, and you'll never convince a true believer: I've had several tell me that it's now the first thing they add to every pool...
  9. taekwondodo

    draining the pool

    Sore spot with me (not you, the pumps at HD or Lowes). I went through three pumps from them in 16 months - one 1/3rd HP sump pump (HD), and two 1/2HP sump pumps (Lowes). They just don't last... My last one (1/2 HP) only made it through 2 pools, and all I did was drain. No muck, etc... That...
  10. taekwondodo

    Massive Green Algae - No FC readings

    A backbone of TFP teaches is that testing is key: It is generally the very first question asked to every problem presented. Without testing NH3, we are "assuming" that we are seeing a lot of ammonia in pools - saying that "it seems like there are a lot of folks on the forum dealing with ammonia...
  11. taekwondodo

    Leaves in the pool, Brushing, and Backwash - Not a believer

    Re: Leaves in the pool, Brushing, and Backwash - Not a belie The trick to making it go fast is to keep it high, don't let it go low - when there's that much stuff in the pool, it will drop below 20 quickly.
  12. taekwondodo

    Leaves in the pool, Brushing, and Backwash - Not a believer

    Re: Leaves in the pool, Brushing, and Backwash - Not a belie You need more chlorine... 1280 oz (10 gallons of 6%) in a 25K pool only raises it to 25ppm - and in a pool that green it will go down quickly. 10 Gallons won't do it. You may need 3-4x that or more that to get through this...
  13. taekwondodo

    Open letter to Mr. Pool Builder...

    There are also "Overcouplers" which fit over existing couplings, and the ends of elbows, which come in handy... also, there are "Pipe Extenders" which fit on the inside of the PVC - if you're really desperate.
  14. taekwondodo

    Massive Green Algae - No FC readings

    So, in these cases, there is no (or I should say, no-longer) ammonia - there is an organic load (i.e., algae) that have consumed the ammonia as food. As an aside, I'm also "big" into aquatic plants, and we're carefully balancing NO3, P and K along with CO2 to grow plants and not algae. NH3...
  15. taekwondodo

    Massive Green Algae - No FC readings

    Not sure if I should add this to the thread - as it is self-serving... And may be broken off to another topic if necessary I had at-least two cases this year alone where FC was gone in an hour - both very very green, and dirty pools. One had about the same level of CYA (60ppm, according to an...