so i still lost about 4 ppm overnight so obviously i haven't gotten rid of the algae, but the pool is definitely looking better. i guess this is one of those situations where the FC level i had was just doing enough to fight off the algae, but at some point the algae just blew up. to go from no overnight FC loss and no cloudy water to what i have now was pretty quick. thanks for all your help, i'm hoping i have this taken care of by the weekend!
Algae survival?
- Thread starter goodnterribles
- Start date
just an update, but it looks like things are finally clear! my FC started holding over the weekend, i brought it up to MA shock level one last time, and then let it come down from there. as a precaution, i added some borax to hopefully help prevent this from coming back in the future. thanks to everyone for their help!
eric
eric
I'm sorry to be a busybody and join this thread at the end but the quote above needs a comment.
Chlorine kills and prevents algae. There is no magic bullet or better method. Proper levels of chlorine in your pool will prevent algae. Do not add borax and think you are immune from algae. If you do not maintain correct chlorine levels, you will, sooner or later, get algae in your pool.
hi dave,
yes, i should have clarified what i meant instead of just throwing out a comment like that. since i have read that borax has algaestatic properties, it is a helpful aid in algae prevention. in my case, my FC level never dropped below 5 ppm and i still had algae comeback after a few months. i am hopeful that by keeping my FC level at a somewhat higher level for a while (~7-7.5) since i did have mustard algae, and by adding borax, i will prevent it from coming back for good.
eric
yes, i should have clarified what i meant instead of just throwing out a comment like that. since i have read that borax has algaestatic properties, it is a helpful aid in algae prevention. in my case, my FC level never dropped below 5 ppm and i still had algae comeback after a few months. i am hopeful that by keeping my FC level at a somewhat higher level for a while (~7-7.5) since i did have mustard algae, and by adding borax, i will prevent it from coming back for good.
eric
Eric,
Certainly keep us posted with what happens in your pool. We don't have enough data points of pools with borates to know how effective it is in inhibiting algae growth. From the scientific studies and from the anecdotal reports so far it certainly takes the edge off of such growth (sometimes dramatically), but as to exactly how much it is still unclear. It certainly shouldn't be counted on for letting one intentionally get a lower FC level, but it could be decent "insurance" to slow down the rate that algae will grow if any lapse in proper maintenance occurs.
Richard
Certainly keep us posted with what happens in your pool. We don't have enough data points of pools with borates to know how effective it is in inhibiting algae growth. From the scientific studies and from the anecdotal reports so far it certainly takes the edge off of such growth (sometimes dramatically), but as to exactly how much it is still unclear. It certainly shouldn't be counted on for letting one intentionally get a lower FC level, but it could be decent "insurance" to slow down the rate that algae will grow if any lapse in proper maintenance occurs.
Richard