Fighting with mustard algae again this year. Need help please

[wes408]

This is my second year with a pool and i have been reading off and on since i have had it on here trying to learn. I have 30ft round salt pool 21,500 gallons with auto pilot DIG-220 with sand filter. Last year i had same problem and since i didn't know anything about pool i just thought it was dirt or pollen on bottom of pool. Well in a week or so pool turned green and i fought getting it back right and finally did end of may last year. Same thing started happening this year again and pool store kept telling me to add shock and brush and vaccumm on waste. It would kill algae and turn grey on bottom and i would vaccum out on waste and then next day small spots would appear again on pool floor. Pool store told me to add half bottle of yellow out and 5 bags of shock and same thing kill it and vaccum out on waste and return. I have wedding cake steps and pool store told me to remove the steps out of pool because they have seen algae get under it before with another pool. So i did and there was algae all under the steps and caked to the bottom of pool. I was then told to add whole botttle of yellow out with the same bromine ingredient in front of return then add 2 bags of shock and brush and vaccumm out. Same thing removed only to return in a day. Keep checking with test strips and show no cholrine which i am finding out on here not to use test strips. I am done with pool store after reading on here for hours the last few days because i am tired of wasting money there.

pool store readings yesterday

FC 0.23
TC 0.47
CC 0.24
PH 7.8
ALK 67
HARDNESS 198
STABILIZER 28
SALT 3,000
IRON 0
COPPER 0.2
PHOSPHATE 504

LIKE I SAID I HAVE READ FOR HOURS ON HERE TRYING TO LEARN AND WANTED TO GET A OPINION AND ALSO CALLED AUTOPILOT THIS MORNING

1) AFTER READING ON HERE AND CONFIRMING WITH AUTOPILOT WAS TOLD NOT TO ADD BROMINE TO SALT POOL AND THAT IS MOST LIKELY THE PROBLEM WITH FREE CHLORINE. SWG CHEKCED OUT FINE BY AUTOPILOT AND WAS TOLD TO UNPLUG CORD TO SALT CELL AND ADD LIQIUD CHLORINE TO 5PPM AND KEEP IT THERE FOR 2 WEEKS UNTIL I CAN MAINTAIN 5PPM.

2) DO I NEED DO TO ANYTHING TO BRING STABILIZER UP OR WAIT UNTIL I GET POOL BACK NORMAL FOR THAT.

3) ORDERING THE TF-100 KIT BECAUSE TIRED OF DEALING WITH TRIPS TO POOL STORE AND SAME ANSWER SHOCK SHOCK SHOCK. WHAT ELSE IS GOOD TO HAVE ON HAND WITH THE TF-100 KIT

4) DO I ADD LIQUID CHLORINE OR THE SHOCK CAL-HYPO I THINK 68%. GOING BY POOL CALCULATOR IT SAYS TO ADD 138OZ OF 10% LIQUID CHLORINE TO GET TO 5PPM

5) DO I LEAVE POOL ON TIMER OR DO I NEED TO KEEP IT RUNNING 24/7 WASN'T QUITE SURE ON THAT.

THERE IS A LOT TO LEARN ON HERE AND THANK U ALL FOR ALL OF THE TIME U TAKE TO HELP OTHERS WITH POOLS. I AM JUST TIRED OF POOL STORE AND WASTING MONEY. THE POOL IS CRYSTAL CLEAR AND LOOKS GOOD BUT THERE ARE A FEW SMALL TINY SPOTS THAT LOOKS LIKE NEW ALGAE ON FLOOR. MY DAUGHTER BIRTHDAY PARTY IS IN 2 WEEKS AND JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET IT UNDER CONTROL. THANKS

 

[kellyfair]

Hey there! Not sure if you noticed by your caps lock got stuck!

You can just add liquid chlorine until you get your kit, and certainly brush and vacuum. I’d keep the pump going and check filter pressure now and then to make sure you don’t need to backwash.

It sounds like things aren’t too bad, so a SLAM shouldn’t take too long. Strongly recommend that you start reading Pool School now so you will be ready to start when you get your test kit.

 

[wes408]

yea i messed up on the caps lock and posted. The one thing i was curious and am still learning is with the stabilizer being so low will that affect anything. Didn't know if with it being hot here if the sun would mess with the chroline that i add at night. I went and bought stabilizer today just in case someone told me i needed to try and raise it up.
Thanks

 

[kellyfair]

Because you don’t really know your CYA level, you don’t want to add any until you can run your own tests.

- - - Updated - - -

By the way, can you put your pool details in your signature? That way they will be there in every post.

Are you in South Carolina?

 

[wes408]

Sorry i have been tied up with work 2 very long days. I am waiting on TF-100 kit and speedstir to come in. The only thing i have done is add 1 gallon of 10% at 8 oclock at night and check in morning with before work at 4am and strip reads around 5. When i get home near dark of course its 0. I am assuming i have 3 problems going on. One being cya read 28 this week at pool store and both pool stores told me to add both bottles of bromine the other week on seperate occasions plus the algae which u can't see on floor now. The pool is cyrstal clear but i was hoping there was something i could try until kit came in because my 8 year girl birthday party is next friday and she is having friends over and she wants to swim. I didn't know if i dont get pool straight by then could the girls swim with the chlorine being 0. Sorry if this is kinda confusing but i am a newbie with a pool and i didn't have a clue about a pool and trying to learn on my own now because i haven't had good luck with pool stores. Yes i am located in South Carolina

One thing i am confused on is if adding a lot of chlorine to the pool will that help with the bromine that they told me to add or just the algae that is not present right now that i can see.

 

[kellyfair]

To make sure I understand, you added bromine to the pool? We’re going to need to get some more guidance on this... I don’t know much about it. I’m thinking they didn’t do you any favors, but let’s get better help in here.

 

[mknauss]

If you added sodium bromide the pool is now a bromine pool. It will have a large chlorine load going forward.

Your best bet is to drain and refill if it can be done safely.

Add your pool details to a signature. See Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post

 

[wes408]

This is where i am at now. This is one of them most confusing things i have been through with different answers. Had to time off from work this morning and just to see i ran to 2 different pool stores i have used just to see results while waiting on TF-100 kit. I called autopilot to confirm what i was told first time and was told to hold chlorine level at 5ppm for 2 weeks until i could hold a chlorine level and then turn SWG back on. 2nd tech this morning said to lower phospate level because on 05-21-18 pool store reading was 500. Told me to put phos remover until below 200 then add chrloine to get level up. I told him i added 2 botlles of bromine which one bottle contains 2lbs each and i had put in on 2 different occasions per pool store with shock. I told autopilot tech i was advised to drain pool and refill but, he kinda acted like i was crazy that i didn't need to do that. Was told by tech to get bromine tested and the guy at pool store told me if the bromine was that high i would have gotten some kinda reading on the chlorine that it wouldn't have been zero. One of the pool stores told me to add there 73% cal hypo 6 bags today and test tommorow and keep adding until i get a chlorine reading and then turn SWG back on. The salt cell is unplugged right now per Autopilot. Neddless to say i am confused as can be now. Just hoping i can get something straight by next friday for my little girl birthday party. The pool is clear and blue as can be just not holding the chlorine level. As i have said before been adding just one gallon of 10% liquid chlorine at night and holds a reading until 4am when i leave for work and then when i get home before dark it is at zero.

1st store-
FC 0
PH 7.6
ALK 120
SALT 2700
CYA 60
CAL 180

2nd store
FC 0
TC 0
CC 0
PH 7.7
ALK 83
CAL 222
CYA 13
SALT 2800
IRON 0
COPPER 0
MANGANESE 0
Phosphate 0, but it read 500 on 05-21-18 at same store
Nitrate 0

 

[wes408]

I just spoke with 3rd autopilot tech and he confirmed that the easiest way is to drain pool, but he thinks that by adding say 5 or 6 bags of shock or enough liquid chlorine that it would burn out the bromine. Told me to add that tonight and check strip until tf-100 comes in and then check again in morning before sunlight and that if chlroine was to strong for strip to add half tap and half pool water to see if it reads. He also confirmed that if bromine was very high that u would get some kinda of reading on chlorine. Like i say i am just asking and trying learn on here. I used to read on here in the past but i never really studied and tried to learn exactly how everything works until now because i want to be able to do it on my own. To cap it off people have told me now it might be better to convert to chlorine and get rid of the salt because a salt water above ground pool won't last long and the metal wall will get destroyed over a few years.

 

[wes408]

okay i received my tf-100 test kit yesterday. I have added 6 bags of shock one day and then kept adding liquid chlorine to pool when the test strips showed chlorine was low until test came in. Each day going by test strips chlorine levels kept holding better and better. I checked FC last night and it was at 11 and this morning i checked it was 10. So as of today my readings are

FC 10
CC 0
ALK 280-300 if i did it right. Did test twice to make sure and staring turning reddish around 18 drops
CH 475
CYA 20 I am assuming filled bottle up to top and could barely see black dot
PH I havent checked bc i thought i read on here it FC is above 10 don't to a ph test.

This is what i am very confused on now and i have been reading on here to my head just about hurts. The ALK read 67 and 120 at 2 different pool stores and CH read 198 and 180 on 05-21-18. Now i am getting around 280 to 300 on ALK and CH IS 475. Now i am kinda lost on what i need to do from here. The salt cell is still unplugged and pool looks clear and blue as can be but i am not sure exactly what i need to do on getting ALK down and can i go ahead and check ph today with FC at 10. thanks

 

[wes408]

I just checked the ph in pool just to see would it might read and i came up with 7.8

 

[kchinger]

okay i received my tf-100 test kit yesterday. I have added 6 bags of shock one day and then kept adding liquid chlorine to pool when the test strips showed chlorine was low until test came in. Each day going by test strips chlorine levels kept holding better and better. I checked FC last night and it was at 11 and this morning i checked it was 10. So as of today my readings are

FC 10
CC 0
ALK 280-300 if i did it right. Did test twice to make sure and staring turning reddish around 18 drops
CH 475
CYA 20 I am assuming filled bottle up to top and could barely see black dot
PH I havent checked bc i thought i read on here it FC is above 10 don't to a ph test.

This is what i am very confused on now and i have been reading on here to my head just about hurts. The ALK read 67 and 120 at 2 different pool stores and CH read 198 and 180 on 05-21-18. Now i am getting around 280 to 300 on ALK and CH IS 475. Now i am kinda lost on what i need to do from here. The salt cell is still unplugged and pool looks clear and blue as can be but i am not sure exactly what i need to do on getting ALK down and can i go ahead and check ph today with FC at 10. thanks

Ignore all of the pool store test results. You're better off throwing darts a board, they'll just confuse you.

For the pH test, it gets off once you're above 10 FC, and the higher the chlorine the more inaccurate. So at 10 you could still do it and have it be accurate.

 

[wes408]

I tested it earlier the ph at 7.8. I have a fountain sprayer i can turn on in pool and of course adjust the return up to top of water. My question is since the ALK is reading around 280 by me doing it and going by pool math i need to add a 277oz of the liquid acid i have which is 15.7% to get around ph 7.2 and the ALK to 100
Do i need to gradually add the acid in say 16 to 32 oz say every 8 hours or how much would u add in increments?

Also once i do add acid do i need to turn on fountain sprayer and the return jet up also?

From reading on here u want your CH around 50-300 for vinyl pools. What is the best way to get the calcium level down?

 

[mknauss]

Did you follow the protocol when testing TA? Read Pool School - Total Alkalinity

See the Note: Sometimes a static electric charge can build up on the R-0009 dropper bottle tip, causing the drops to be smaller than usual and making the test read higher than actual. You can prevent this by wipping the tip of the dropper bottle with a damp cloth or tissue before you start and after each drop.

 

[wes408]

I went over it on directions with kit and on here and did test 2 times to make sure

 

[mknauss]

TA will resolve itself unless you have scaling problems due to elevated CSI.

Did you ever drain to resolve the bromine issue?

 

[wes408]

Do i feel like a dummy i went and done test for third time. After 18 drops it doesn't change anymore so that's 180 for ALK. I don't know why i was saying 280

 

[wes408]

Everything seemed to be good for pool party friday FC was holding with 1ppm drop overnight before party and pool looked good and when i got up saturday morning this is what pool looks like now after a lot of kids got in pool friday. I am assuming this is mustard algae or is this just green algae. It is just on floor of pool scattered around not on walls. I did wash wedding cakes steps with clorox and pressure washer real good but when my son helped me put them back in pool when we went to push steps down and stand on steps to screw it back to deck pieces of like dry flakes the color of like red/orange clay came out and i grabbed the leaf net and picked up as much as i could that was floating out from under it. I guess i need to try and slam pool again or could have some of the kids brought something to pool or did the stuff that came out from under steps could have been dry dead algae.

 

[wes408]

Somebody that came saturday to get there child has pool and said thought it was dirt but to me it looks like new algae forming. I make kids wash feet off before getting back in pool so just wanted a opinion after taking a pic.

 

[wes408]

SWG is set on 50% purifier and runs 10 hours a day. On the day of party 06-01-18 FC had manually got down to 5.5 so i plugged salt cell back in that morning and on 06-02-18 the next morning FC 2.5 and that night down FC 1.5 so i manually added some liquid chlorine to get it up back to 4ppm.

Test results as of today 06-03-18.
10:00 a.m.
FC 4
CC 0
PH 7.8
CYA 30
ALK 120

8:45 pm
FC 3.5

Thanks for all the articles and advice on here there is a lot to know and learn on this site.