We bought and filled a new pool on Monday (31st). I've never owned a pool in my life, so naturally my husband, who grew up with one and was a little familiar with it was considered IN CHARGE... I figured I would eventually learn how to test the chemicals and such, but already there are some issues.
As soon as there was about 2 inches of water in the pool, we attracted some interesting bugs that we just figured were waterbugs. After some research on the internet and I'm pretty sure we have backswimmers and boatmen. We have killed several by raking them out into a bucket of dishwater, but more keep showing up. I have read that these critters are good for mosquito larvae in creeks and ponds, so I don't want to keep killing these creatures that actually do us a favor. Problem is, I don't want to get bit! Since it is hard to tell the difference between the two (at least to my virgin eyes) I can't tell which one is the biting backswimmer! My husband is still tweeking the chemicals, but unfortunately, we have test strips. After reading here that they are not accurate, we are in the process of ordering one of your suggested test kits. Will these bugs go away when everything is leveled out? If not, how do we keep them away?
The other problem is that we used well water to fill the pool and I guess it stirred up some sand because the bottom of the pool is covered. It took a few days to settle but now it is just sitting there. He tried vacuuming it out and the sand went right in one hose and came out the other, back into the pool. Yes, we bought a cheap pool setup from walmart. Do we need to buy a different filter?
Thanks in advance for your help! Reading pool school and many posts on this site have already helped answer many questions.
As soon as there was about 2 inches of water in the pool, we attracted some interesting bugs that we just figured were waterbugs. After some research on the internet and I'm pretty sure we have backswimmers and boatmen. We have killed several by raking them out into a bucket of dishwater, but more keep showing up. I have read that these critters are good for mosquito larvae in creeks and ponds, so I don't want to keep killing these creatures that actually do us a favor. Problem is, I don't want to get bit! Since it is hard to tell the difference between the two (at least to my virgin eyes) I can't tell which one is the biting backswimmer! My husband is still tweeking the chemicals, but unfortunately, we have test strips. After reading here that they are not accurate, we are in the process of ordering one of your suggested test kits. Will these bugs go away when everything is leveled out? If not, how do we keep them away?
The other problem is that we used well water to fill the pool and I guess it stirred up some sand because the bottom of the pool is covered. It took a few days to settle but now it is just sitting there. He tried vacuuming it out and the sand went right in one hose and came out the other, back into the pool. Yes, we bought a cheap pool setup from walmart. Do we need to buy a different filter?
Thanks in advance for your help! Reading pool school and many posts on this site have already helped answer many questions.
