I have a 18k in ground pool with high cya. I plan on draining and going swg so the cya shouldn't be a problem but I am curious about that bio active stuff. My cya is starting out between 120 and 140. I'm using a hth liquid test kit. I know it's not a Taylor but it's what I have. I plan on starting the bio active tomorrow or the next day depending on my chlorine levels. I am just curious about this stuff. I know there is a lot of people that say it doesn't work but there are also alot of people that say it does. I will keep you updated either way
My bio active experiment
- Thread starter barnnns1
- Start date
If you do a search here, you will find 99% say don't work. The others never report back.
That is true but most of the people I see using it don't seem to use it as directed. Usually either starting with chlorine to high or not getting remotely accurate test at start then at finish. Or the stuff might be a total waste of money. At least I got it online for half the cost of at the pool store.
I wish you luck, but don't hold out much hope.
Does it work? I think under very specific conditions, it does. But, I don't think it's as simple as getting the FC low. We have had several members conduct controlled tests where the chlorine was lowered properly and they tested multiple times a day to verify what was going on. The results of these controlled experiments have all been either no reduction in CYA or very minimal reduction in CYA.
Those reports where someone says Bioactive worked were all from new members whose sole purpose in posting was to tout the product. Please understand, I'm not saying you are in this camp. We want you to stay and become an active member.
As a new member you don't have the historical knowledge, but every year a certain number of members post that upon opening their pools for the year they discover that during the winter their CYA "disappeared". We have alway assumed some biological activity was consuming it. That Bioactive feels they have isolated this and can replicate it is a good thing. What we have not been able to show is that it works well enough to recommend it. It appears that there has to be a certain set of parameters for it to work consistantly. We know chlorine needs to be low to avoid killing the biologics but what else? Water temperature, pH, UV/light? All of these may be a factor because the reports of CYA loss over winter are closed/covered pools.
Again, I wish you luck. Keep copious notes because if it works, how you did it may point us in the direction of what can be replicated on a consistent basis.
Does it work? I think under very specific conditions, it does. But, I don't think it's as simple as getting the FC low. We have had several members conduct controlled tests where the chlorine was lowered properly and they tested multiple times a day to verify what was going on. The results of these controlled experiments have all been either no reduction in CYA or very minimal reduction in CYA.
Those reports where someone says Bioactive worked were all from new members whose sole purpose in posting was to tout the product. Please understand, I'm not saying you are in this camp. We want you to stay and become an active member.
As a new member you don't have the historical knowledge, but every year a certain number of members post that upon opening their pools for the year they discover that during the winter their CYA "disappeared". We have alway assumed some biological activity was consuming it. That Bioactive feels they have isolated this and can replicate it is a good thing. What we have not been able to show is that it works well enough to recommend it. It appears that there has to be a certain set of parameters for it to work consistantly. We know chlorine needs to be low to avoid killing the biologics but what else? Water temperature, pH, UV/light? All of these may be a factor because the reports of CYA loss over winter are closed/covered pools.
Again, I wish you luck. Keep copious notes because if it works, how you did it may point us in the direction of what can be replicated on a consistent basis.
1. There are not "a lot of people out there" that says this works. Can you provide links for "a lot" of them?
2. There are a lot of people who come to this forum who are shills for this product. I am curious why you are so dead set to purchase a failed product but don't have interest in managing your pool with an accurate test kit?
3. I would say your "experiment" is falsely optimistic. Reading the info available on this forum, no one with logic on his side would buy this product.
2. There are a lot of people who come to this forum who are shills for this product. I am curious why you are so dead set to purchase a failed product but don't have interest in managing your pool with an accurate test kit?
3. I would say your "experiment" is falsely optimistic. Reading the info available on this forum, no one with logic on his side would buy this product.
I assure you I am just curious about the product. When I was heavy into saltwater aquariums there would always be the next greatest thing ever coming out. Some worked some didn't but most of the old school hobbyist where to set in their ways and we're not willing to try new things. A good example is lighting. To this day there are tons of people that say led lighting can't grow coral and claim to have done lots of testing. Problem is I have seen beautiful tanks with nothing but led lighting. I'm not going to get to excited about this product either because I did find it odd that the guy at the pool store said if I use it to do it right after the swim season before it gets cold. This could have been because of cya levels dropping during the winter. I am pretty new to pools so I am not even going to try and pretend I know more than anyone. I just know that if ithe works I will report that and if it doesn't I will let you know also. I am curious how many ppm it would have to lower it for most people to say it's worth trying.
It would have to be more than the accuracy rate of the test. So something more than 20. But realistically, for the cost I would want at least 50% reduction. Any less, and it would be cheaper to just drain 50% and fill.
so I started the bio active last night. no change yet on the 4:1 dilution with test strips.(at least not enough tell with the color chart) I will test tomorrow with liquid test as I only have enough for one more cya test. I will get more liquid on Thursday. Interesting note is that my combined chlorine was somewhere between 1 and 3 on the strip test and now appears to be closer to 1 with my fc around 3. I don't know if its because of the bio active or not. I am using 2 different brand strips and then my liquid test kit and the numbers seem to show the same changes across the board. what do think the reason for the cc drop is. Or does it drop on its own. I was under the impression cya masks bleach and that's part of where the cc comes from. am I wrong
If you want us to take this experiment seriously you can't use test strips. You claim other people are getting bad results because they are doing it wrong, yet you can't even accurately measure your levels to make sure you are doing it right either.
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I'm just telling everybody what I'm doing. If you read the post You can see I am using 3 different test kits. Don't take it seriously if you don't want to. I am not a chemist or pool professional just a normal everyday person like probly 90 percent of thoses that come here to read about pool stuff. Not to mention if this stuff works I should see a noticeable difference on all 3 test kits I'm using.
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
I used it last year.
My CYA went down 40 ppm total. (It was 120 prior to using it, but dilluted cya tests are less accurate) I expected a lot more though.
And immediately after, I had a mustard algae outbreak thanks to the low fc levels.
Their claim that algae probably won't start, proved to be false.
So be prepared to do a slam when you are done trying it.
My CYA went down 40 ppm total. (It was 120 prior to using it, but dilluted cya tests are less accurate) I expected a lot more though.
And immediately after, I had a mustard algae outbreak thanks to the low fc levels.
Their claim that algae probably won't start, proved to be false.
So be prepared to do a slam when you are done trying it.
I did read the post. You are using 3 test kits, none of them are known for accurate FC or CYA numbers, so doesn't really matter how many you use.
I am well aware most people here are trying to learn. It is for those people I am making sure it is stated that your testing methods are not accurate, nor will any conclusions you come to be. My concern is not you doing this experiment, it is that someone might make a bad decision based on it.
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I am well aware most people here are trying to learn. It is for those people I am making sure it is stated that your testing methods are not accurate, nor will any conclusions you come to be. My concern is not you doing this experiment, it is that someone might make a bad decision based on it.
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thanks for the heads up on the outbreak. I was going to slam it when I was done. 40ppm drop isnt bad. I'm hoping for more but at least 40 would make me feel like it wasn't a total waste of money. Were your chlorine levels and water temp where they wanted them.
maybe they aren't know for being as accurate but they will give me an idea of where things are. Like I said if the stuff works I should see a difference on all 3 test kits. Unless you are saying no kits work at all besides Tayler ones. I'm really not here to argue with anyone so I can just not finish the thread if that's what the TFP Experts want
Finish your thread. Your blind determination flies in the face of objectivity. You must have an agenda for pursuing this and the only agenda I can see is you want "bio-bogus" back in the spotlight. What other reason would you have for rejecting the solid, consistent advice found here?
you are right about the agenda. It is to see for myself if this stuff works or not. I am curious if you can link your thread for when you tried it so I can see your test readings
One note in here for those that may follow along later about waiting until the end of swim season to try, keep in mind that the CYA turbidity test accuracy depends on the water sample being at around normal swim temperatures and that a cold water sample will read lower in CYA than a warme sample.
No the typical situation we see with some pools is a complete loss of CYA over the winter, this is often associated with swamp like conditions on opening and sometimes large amounts of ammonia in the water. Ammonia is a known product in the breakdown chain for CYA, and the best guess is there is some sort of bacterial conversion that goes on in some pools over the winter when there is no FC in the water. Some people see this happen every winter, others occasionally or not at all.