My first algae battle.UPDATE

[numberonenole]

I went out of town for 5 days and came back to a milky/green pool. Next time I will just use the tablets instead of hoping my husband will add chlorine. Anyway, I've shocked the Crud out of it and it is getting better quickly, I just have a question:

I keep getting dark colored lines/clumps of stuff on the floor of the pool-should I assume that's algae? Should I use Wanda the Whale on it or brush it back into the water. When brushed or vacuumed it dissappears, then comes back.

My numbers: FC 19, TA 90 , pH 7.8 (I think. I hate that test. I can't read it.), CH 250, CYA around 38
I forgot to test the CC. I'll do that in the morning.
Thanks!

 

[Casey]

Re: My first algae battle.

It's algae. Vacuum it up, keep your shock level up and backwash accordingly. It will clear.

As for your pH... you are shocking. It's gonna read high. Don't worry about it until the FC is under 10ppm.

 

[numberonenole]

All right! Thanks to you fine folks here at TFP I wiped out the algae pretty quickly! I did catch it pretty early on so that helped. The pool is sparkling blue again. So now I am wondering,

1. I still have a bit of algae behind my wedding cake steps. Is this a big problem?

2. I'm still running my pump 24/7. Can I stop it now? I think I got the algae in the first place not only because my husband let the chlorine drop low, but also he didn't clean out the basket and the circulation was reduced. Of course, as I'm typing this I'm wondering to myself why I always think in terms of all or nothing. I can always drop it to 18 hours a day, then so on.

Thanks as always!

 

[reebok]

if you are 100% sure your algae bloom is dead by an overnight fc loss test, or if youw ater is sparkling and 100% clear whch it sounds like it is, then you can cut back your pump time to normal.
you and everyone else has algae on the wedding cake steps. those things should come painted green.