Newbie on Day 7

[karmazrevenge]

I did my battle with algae and for the past three days we've passed our OCLT. I had to replace a part on my sand filter and initially filled it with the wrong size sand. Yesterday we emptied the filter and put the correct sand in it. My water is still a milky white, though it has gotten a tiny bit better compared to yesterday. I put DE in the filter today, and I've ordered a slime bag but don't have it yet. Tomorrow the plan is to vacuum the pool and maybe add more DE after I backwash it.

Any other suggestions? My chemistry seems ok:
FC 5
CC 0
Ph 7.6
TA 80
Calcium don't check
CYA 40

Am I missing something, or just being impatient?

 

[linen]

Being impatient. Sand filter take awhile to filter out the dead algae carcasses. I would do the DE like you plan.

Go ahead and measure CH and post it (unless you are certain it is low).

MOD alert: By the way I noticed that you are starting a new thread almost every time you post. I was going to combine them...but there were a bunch, so I gave up. How about from now on until your pool clears, keep all your posts related to that in this thread. Thanks.

 

[karmazrevenge]

I'll test for it. I haven't been because my pool is abg vinyl. Should I be checking it regularly?

 

[linen]

Should I be checking it regularly?

No need to if it is not high and your not using cal-hypo. I just suggested testing since clouding can sometimes be caused by high CH combined with other factors, even in a vinyl pool.

 

[karmazrevenge]

Oh ok. I only shock with liquid bleach, but I'll test for it just in case my fill water is high in calcium. I'll test first thing in the morning and post my result

 

[karmazrevenge]

Ok, Calcium test completed and it is 30. Linen, I just saw your statement about not posting new threads....I will make sure I post to the same one from now on. Not really sure why I didn't think of that myself....duh.

Checked the pool this morning before I left for work - still cloudy but maybe a little better. Hard to tell that early in the morning. Vacuum will go in this evening. Here's hoping for the best

 

[linen]

Calcium test completed and it is 30.

Then your cloudiness is not calcium cloudy...no need to test calcium again for awhile unless you start adding it.

Not really sure why I didn't think of that myself....duh.

No problem, it happens all the time

I would keep using the DE until you are crystal clear.

 

[karmazrevenge]

Will do. I'm trying to post pics to this forum, but wow is it ever difficult. I just got a pbotobucket app and account...will that allow me to post pics here?

 

[linen]

Use the "url" button in the "post a reply" editor and insert the url link to the photobucket pictures inside.

 

[karmazrevenge]

Can someone double check me please? Last night I brought the pool up to shock level (19). I checked the FC this morning and it was 17. When I got home from work the FC was 5. That seems like a lot of loss for the FC. I normally lose 2ppm during a normal sunny day. The water is still murky, though adding DE to the filter did seem to help. I just brought the FC back up to shock level and I will test again first thing in the morning (OCLT) because I'm starting to think the green algae I've been fighting wasn't completey killed off (I passed my OCLT....maybe I did it wrong???)

Does this sound reasonable? At first I thought the water was cloudy because of the filter issues I had. Then I wondered if having the wrong sand in the filter caused the cloudiness. We know it's not a high calcium level since it tested out at 30. Here's the rest of my test results:
FC 19 (as of 10pm)
TA 80
Ph 7.6
CYA 30 (down a little from a few days ago. All the backwashing??)
CH 30

Stay tuned for pics. I'm still trying to post them (not tech savvy, even with good instructions).

 

[karmazrevenge]

Day 1. YUCK!!!!

 

[Smykowski]

Sounds like you let it come down too early. If you lost 2ppm overnight and another 12 during the day, you're not done shocking.

 

[karmazrevenge]

Day 2. Not green anymore, but very cloudy.

 

[karmazrevenge]

Day 3. Clearer. This is where we're stuck.

 

[Richard320]

That doesn't look so bad.

It didn't go green overnight, it won't clear overnight, either.

 

[karmazrevenge]

Why was I able to post the first picture, but not the rest? I had to use the url option.

I probably did stop shocking too soon. Lesson learned....the hard way. Ugh!

 

[karmazrevenge]

That doesn't look so bad.

It didn't go green overnight, it won't clear overnight, either.

The pics aren't the best. The water has this funky grey-brown tint on the bottom. The vacuum didn't clear it up, and with the FC bouncing around I guess I'm still in the fight.

 

[Richard320]

Why was I able to post the first picture, but not the rest? I had to use the url option.

I probably did stop shocking too soon. Lesson learned....the hard way. Ugh!

Because you made a typo. Should be bracket url bracket. You're missing one. But I just copied and pasted and saw it.

 

[linen]

Why was I able to post the first picture, but not the rest? I had to use the url option.

I probably did stop shocking too soon. Lesson learned....the hard way. Ugh!

I fixed your links, your link was not between the ][...I also changed the second and third pic to IMG instead of URL (just like you had done the first pick).

I agree, you stopped the shocking process too soon. You need to pass all three end of shocking criteria in the pool school article (they are also in my sig).

 

[karmazrevenge]

Linen, I definitely haven't made it to #3! Thanks for fixing my links. I'm in the process of bringing my FC up to 24 tonight and I'll check ot again first thing in the morning. I'm positive I still have active algae. That's ok though...I'll win this war!