I found maggots in my pool....Help please

[newpooluser]

Hi everyone!! I am a new pool owner and not very knowledgeable about it all yet...lol. We were doing great with the pool until about a week ago we used it pretty heavily over 2 days with all the kids in and out of it. By the end of the night, it looked sooo dirty so I did what I usually do and put in the chlorine and ran the pump for a long time. I also used the net to skim out as much debris as I could, but the water was just not getting clear.

The next day, I changed the filter and did some more scooping out of debris (flies mostly). Then I noticed what seemed to be a cluster of human hair tangled with flies. Once I scooped it out I noticed it was full with maggots ( or so I am assuming that is what they are ). I am totally grossed out and wondering how this is happening. I found more at the bottom of the pool.

After repeating with the chlorine, I noticed that wasn't even working once I tested the levels. So I added Shock to the pool. All the other levels are fine on the testing strip but I'm having trouble balancing the chlorine levels and now with the maggots. Do I need to empty the whole pool and start from scratch again.
Please help!!!

Thank you!!!

 

[Hotrod30]

No... you don't have to dump the water. I would let the kids play in the pool this weekend and Monday shock the pool and for the rest of the week get the pool balanced.
You might want to vacuum the pool once before the kids get in to clean up the bottom of the pool.

Maggots won't hurt anything. Afew floating around can be scooped up with your net; when the kids are playing in the pool.

Someday, if I were you, I would get a better test kit. Strips just give you a guess. Also read the pool school for shocking. In fact, read the pool school.

For pool school, go to: category/pool-school/

 

[AnnaK]

Really, you could just invite hotrod to come visit with his snakes, they'll scarf up those maggots in no time! Even though they are vegetarian snakes.

Don't worry too much about the maggots. Bugs happen. I was recently grossed out by insect eggs on the side of my liner just above the water line. If they grew into anything, I missed it. They're gone. Skimmer, net, PoolSkim . . . who knows. Maybe they became flies and left home.

Keep your water balanced, vacuum, skim when necessary. Enjoy the pool.

 

[newpooluser]

Thanks for replying. Are you sure it is safe for the kids to still play in the pool?? I am just so worried that they will pick something up from them. Where could they be coming from?? I really have to read up on the "poolschool", cuz I keep shocking the pool and the chlorine levels are just good initially then its like they disappear...lol. It's been so hot this weekend and I feel so bad cuz my son wants to play in it so bad. I also need to get a vacuum. Are they expensive?

Thanks again!!

 

[Butterfly]

Hi newpooluser ,

If you would post a full set of test results we could give much better advice about your water.

Something is eating your chlorine, either sunshine or organics.

Please go to Pool School and read the first few topics so that you will learn what info we need to help you.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[newpooluser]

Well, I can give some info on the pool but I don't know much about all of this yet. Still learning.
It is is Round Metal Frame Pool AG. Size 16' x 42". I don't know how much water is in by the gallon. We have about 3' of water in there as it is not full to the top. I also don't have a testing kit. Only the testing strips. It shows the 4 levels on there measuring by color. The PH and alkaline levels are always good. It's just the bromine and chlorine levels that are changing all the time. At the end of the week I am going to go and see if I can get some better testing stuff as I am finding out I need better stuff for our pool.
Oh and the filter (on the instruction pamphlet) just says Intex Krystal Clear Model 637R Filter Pump. Sorry I don't know more info. I don't know if this will help. Thanks again!!! :-D

 

[Hotrod30]

Maggots won't hurt anyone. Just think about what you are swimming in at a lake or river. I would guess a fly layed her eggs while she was floating in the pool. They'll die off soon. Give your son a pail and a spoon and tell him you'll give him a quarter for everyone he collects. It will give him something to do for awhile. If he gets more that $10 bucks worth, you better get a vacuum set-up and shock your pool Monday.

 

[Hotrod30]

You have about 4500 gal in your pool.

 

[Butterfly]

I keep shocking the pool and the chlorine levels are just good initially then its like they disappear...

The fact that your chlorine diappears means that your pool is not sanitary. No chlorine means no sanitation!

Sunshine and organics are using up all your chlorine that is needed to keep your pool sanitary.

Your pool needs to be shocked. Most of us shock with liquid chlorine (plain, unscented, 6% household bleach). I suggest you read (in Pool School) the articles on "Shocking Your Pool" and "Defeating Algae". You probably have algae caused by FC (free chlorine, the good stuff) falling below maintenance levels.

We can help you with appropriate shock levels, but we need those test numbers. If you have a pool store nearby, take a water sample to them and have it tested.

How many hours a day are you running your pump/filter?

Folks who know about the Intex & a vacuum set-up will chime in soon.

I know this seems like a lot to think about, but don't worry. We will help you get your pool cleared and balanced.

 

[mpatrick14]

I had a 16 ft round Intex 2 summers ago before I got my new pool, you can buy the vacuum head, tubing, and semi-decent pole from Walmart as a set or separately for about 60-80 bucks. My walmart has the deluxe kit for 65.00 that has the vacuum, hose, pole, brush, net, and some other junk. The cost at Leslies is maybe 20% more and a little higher quality, but same basic thing. I actually bought a pole there I thought was really nice, and it broke within a week. You are probably better off buying from Walmart because they sell the stuff that has the same fittings or includes the adapters for the Intex pools. I bought my stuff at Leslies thinking it would be better but it was a heck of a time trying to connect the different hoses and poles up.

One thing I learned from my Intex days - vacuuming through the Intex filter does not work well. It is a crappy set up, and about 50% of what you suck up goes right through the filter our the return and back on the floor. I used to have to vacuum, then immediately swap the filter with another clean one and then vacuum again. Sometimes I had to do that several times. I had about 6 filters on rotation for vacuum days. So in hindsight, I am thinking I really could have used a vacuum that had a built in filter and didnt just suck it into the Intex filter.

They also have a vacuum with its own filter bag for about 100.00

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... id=8470872

Of course those days I was young and dumb, buying those bags of shock and all the fancy chemicals, and then using those stupid 5 way test strips and wondering why my pool was turning green, and then milky white, and then gray...ah those were the days

1.5 gallon jugs of wal mart 6% bleach are 2.28 each! Plus you dont almost die trying to mix those shock bags with water before pouring them in!