Leslie, I am with Dave with this. Last couple of years I used the stupid salt water thing.....it was OK, but this year, I went strictly bleach.....Clorox, nothing more. I added my own CYA from a 5 pound pail I bought from Amazon and I have two gallons of muratic acid that I used to adjust chemistry as I wanted to try the Borax thing for water feel and appearance, but seriously, this year doing almost exactly as Dave does, I have the best pool I have ever had.
My smaller pool takes about two cups of bleach a day and that's it. I have had no algea, no indication of algea and nice, wonderful pool. I will not put another puck in any pool of mine no matter what. Bleach is all you need, except for CYA when you open it in the beginning. I know that sounds stupid simple, but it will be with proper testing and keeping your chemistry where it is supposed to be. Every day I go out to my pool I giggle.....everyone around me uses a pool service or goes to the pool store for testing, and they are always complaining about cost or results.....
Bob E.