Possible Algae or Nothing??

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Mustard algae looks like yellow-green, spots/splotches that tend to grow and spread, especially on the shady side of the pool. Mustard algae is fond of growing on the walls of the pool, while pollen doesn't accumulate on the walls at all.
mustard-algae.jpg
 
What I've been dealing with is primarily on the bottom surface of the pool, sometimes on the slopes leading to the bottom. It really likes to attach itself to the "blister like" surfaces in the pool.

Thanks,
Alan
 
What you have is starting to sound like pollen. Pollen tends to accumulate on the bottom of the pool, especially in the low spots or near wrinkles where there is slightly less circulation.

Pollen brushes away really easily, often you just need to get the brush near a spot and the water flow from the moving brush will "blow" it away. Mustard algae brushes away, but it sometimes takes two or three passes to get it all.
 
How long can pollen be a nuisance for a pool? Is this something that I will constantly have to brush and/or vacuum? I went a couple of days without those spots and noticed a few more this morning?

Thanks,
Alan
 
When we were looking at the house last year, I saw a few of those spots in the middle of July...makes me wonder if those spots are truly pollen?? Mid-July is not pollen season in Arkansas.

Thanks,
Alan
 

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It could have been anything, dirt, dust... pollen - they all look very similar and why many people confuse it with mustard algae.

If you do a google search of Mustard Algae and Pollen - bottom left corner, you'll see all the threads where people with sparklypoolitis are confusing these things with Mustard algae. :wink:
 
Pollen is basically dirt and if you stir it up enough the filter or pool cleaner will usually catch it.

Mustard algae is a particularly stubborn SOB and if it isn't spreading, I think some people just live with it.
--paulr
 
Free Chlorine Loss

Current Readings
FC 4.5
TC 4.5
TA 110
CYA 30-35
CH 280

Question: Is it reasonable to lose 7ppm per day with my current CYA level...to the best of my ability, I did an overnight FC loss test a couple of nights and didn't lose anything...maybe 1 to 1.5 at max due to the varying results of my tests.

Thanks,
Alan
IG
Fiberglass
Sand Filter
17,500 Gallons
 
Re: Free Chlorine Loss

If you are losing > 1 ppm of FC overnight which you have indicated that you have, then you are not finished shocking the pool.

You can lose quite a bit of FC during the course of the day. 7 ppm would be excessive though and this, coupled with the fact that you are still losing too much FC overnight tells me that you need to continue shocking.
 
Here's the problem...on a couple of nights I've lost on a range of 0-1.5. I give that range because I can never get the exact same test result with the FC drop test. I've had several witnesses attest to the fact that I'm measuring and reading identical on every test. So for those of you that say you could, for example, get a FC reading of 10 tonight and 10 in the morning, and then tomorrow get a reading of 8 in the evening and 8 in the morning, I would love to see it!! That's why I don't know if I'll ever be able to determine if I have an overnight FC loss, ESPECIALLY if it's very minor.

Thanks,
Alan
 
I'm trying to take into account all the various variables...how do you handle rinsing the sample bottle? Do you rinse before and after each test...just with pool water...or tap water? Or does this make a difference?

Thanks,
Alan
 
alanrmeadows said:
I'm trying to take into account all the various variables...how do you handle rinsing the sample bottle? Do you rinse before and after each test...just with pool water...or tap water? Or does this make a difference?

Thanks,
Alan
Click to expand...
Dude, try adding a little more powder and see if that makes a difference.
 
Rinse with tap water, then pool water, but I don't think it makes a difference. Not sure if it would, I've done both and never had issues with varying results.

Yes, if your CYA level is 30ish you can easily lose 50% of the FC during the day. So if your FC is at 12 in the morning it can be down to 5 or 6 by nightfall when you are shocking. So usually towards the end of a shock process when the FC drops are smaller, we recommend shocking in the evening to cut back on how much is lost to sunlight.

I think you are overthinking things... try some POP. The test is fairly simple to do, it doesn't matter if its one scoop or two, level or not, or if all the powder dissolves. All that matters if it it turns pink, and how many drops it takes to get it to clear. Try going very slowly, perhaps have someone there with you to verify the drop count - make sure you aren't adding multiple drops at once, etc. make sure the solution is staying clear for 15-30 full seconds before moving onto the CC portion.

Try doing the overnight test without adding any bleach. So say you haven't added any in a couple of hours - go test, it should have had time to circulate well. Don't add more bleach, just write down the result. Then tomorrow early, before the sun hits the pool, test again. Leave the filter running all night.

I'm sorry if I'm repeating things you know, I just want to make sure we aren't missing anything.
 

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