What type of Algae is this?!?!

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rgauthier20420

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Jul 24, 2014
5
Crest Hill
Hello esteemed community,

I've been battling my pool this summer and finally got "most" of the stuff off the ground. However, I still have a substance that is sticking to the bottom of my pool liner that won't scrub off. The pool was kept for at least a week in the orange on my 5 way drip test. Phosphates tested at 100 before I began that step. Early this summer I had a lot of calcium build up on the walls and bottom and the whole pool has been scrubbed numerous times along with the scale remover added. The walls are no longer scaly to the touch like they used to be.

I'm trying to figure out what this stuff is so I can get whatever is needed to fight it. It's pretty much along the lower edge of the perimeter of the pool and a bit towards the middle. Most the perimeter though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
The first step is to get a real test kit and post the results. TF100 is what I recommend from TFtestkits.net It'll save you a ton of money in chemicals.

I'll let the others chime in on the black stuff- but if you're using chlorine pucks, you can try sitting one on a spot a see if it goes away, if that's the case, it's organic.

Try deleting the other post, or post something like "moderator, please delete".
 
I will try the chlorine puck on the liner tonight. If it doesn't go away, it's safe to say it's not organic I'm assuming? I've been reading about the AA treatment for metal stains and such. I do know I'm on well water and it's high in metals from what I know. Looking at the 2013 report for my Village it .5 PPM Iron.

I'm picking up a 6 way test kit from at Walmart this weekend probably also.
 
DO NOT leave a puck on your liner over night. Nothing good will come from that....only bad.

I assume from the pic that the whitish looking color is what you are trying to eliminate. The pic makes it a little hard to decide because I can't see enough of it.

Nevertheless, I think you have two problems that need to be addressed. One is to get your water chemistry balanced and your water crystal clear. That will allow us to put our heads together and correctly identify that stain and use the right stuff on it to get it out of your pool.

It won't be an overnight fix....;.it took quite a while to get that way and it will take some time to get it gone but we'll all help you.

I have a dog in the fight, but the 6-way test will waste your money. I strongly urge you to order the high-end TF-100 from TFTestkits.net or the Taylor K-2006 kit from many many places on the net.

It's the tool you need to get this job started right.

read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. That's the building blocks that you will need to get this ball rollong.
 
Hello. The darker portion of this picture is what is the issue. It's a brown substance that is stuck to the pool line around the perimeter. I was in it today and literally had to use my finger mail to scrape any of it off. No brushes would get this off.

The water itself if crystal clear and visibly blue in the areas where this substance isn't stuck to the liner. From the tests I was able to do tonight, the ph was 7.6, FC was 5, and TA around 185.

I want planning on leaving the chlorine puck sitting on the liner but thanks for your worry :). I did attempt to rub the liner with the puck in the bad areas with no success. I got a quart of proteam metal stuff and put that in tonight. Pump is sitting on. Should I also attempt to brush?
 
Did you check your water specifically for metals? I did not see you post these results. Do NOT dump chemicals into the water blindly in hopes of fixing something you have no idea what is wrong.

If you could scrap this off with a finger nail but not brush it off, I will more than likely say that you have organic staining and it is directly related to leaving the pool get green and leaving leafy material on the bottom to decay. If this is what the pool had went through then elevated FC levels and daily brushing is what will eventually lift the stains. This is NOT an over night deal to clear the pool but a long drawn out one that takes time.
 
It indeed did go through that at the beginning of this season. Has anyone had luck in the past with something to scrape this stuff off? I'll be honest, this pool isn't something I'm worried about keeping pristine and beautiful. Granted I don't want it looking ***** ugly, but if I can get in there a scrape this stuff off with something a bit more rigid that might also scrape away a little of the blue lines or whatever in the liner I'm kind of ok with that. As it stands, the worst areas are around the perimeter of the pool so.
 

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Again, there is no quick fix to this particular problem except raising FC levels slightly above normal and brushing the stains daily.
 
rgauthier20420 said:
I'll be honest, this pool isn't something I'm worried about keeping pristine and beautiful.
Click to expand...
I'll let you in on a little secret: It is easier to keep a pristine pool pristine than it is to keep a "just a little hazy" pool "just a little hazy". A pristine pool will stay that way with a minimal amount of upkeep. A hazy pool will constantly try to get hazier, using more chlorine and forcing you to stay on top of it more. A pool is one of those things where it is way harder to half-effort it than it is to do things the right way. That is why this forum is about doing things the right way, not about just getting it "good enough."
 
Hi and welcome to TFP,
The best, and first thing, you should do is order a proper test kit as had been recommended here. You can't depend on strips or pool store results. If you don't control the water chemistry first, those stains or whatever they are could possibly get worse.
 
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