Algae or something else?

[karenkolby]

Took cover off last Sunday to 1000+ (no joke) tadpoles and some pine straw & debris in the water. The water was a little murky but NOT green and you could see the bottom. 16 jugs of chloxorx, fishing out dead frogs, and most of the pine straw later the water looked like the first picture below. You could still see the bottom and thru this process my Pool Rover Jr died

This morning my water looked the same as the first picture. Testing showed this:
FC 0
pH 7.2
CYA 20 or lower (I've been adding stabilizer in the socks on the noodle for about 3 days)
TA 60

So .. I added chlorox to bring it to FC 10 (b/c of no CYA) and added some borax for the pH.

Within an hour or so of doing this the water tuned green (second picture). Current readings are:
FC 12
pH 7.2
TA 80
CYA - I didn't retest primarily b/c I'm running out of test chemicals for this reading and stabilizer is still it the socks dissolving.

ANY ideas what is going on and/or what I should do at this point?

THANKS in advance!!
Karen

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Pictures below .. sorry they didn't attach in the original post.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hi Karen! You have a sick pool. We can help. But here's a MUST do list:
- MUST have proper test kit (TF-100 or Taylor K2006) - link below (we NEED to know CYA)
- Will need to SLAM using the SLAM and Chlorine/CYA link below; but 1st you need the right test kit

Stay in touch, and welcome!

 

[Texas Splash]

Might also consider stocking-up on more regular bleach, and re-up on the SLAM process.

 

[karenkolby]

I have the test kit you mention and that's how I have such accurate results what I don't understand is why all of a sudden it's green. Especially since I HAVE been slamming it and it's still green. How long after slamming can I expect it to clear up?

 

[tommyd123]

My initial thought is that you have high levels of copper. That would explain the lack of algae when you had other life living in there. The bleach plus copper made green water. I could be way off though. What has been your primary method of pool care up until this point?


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[karenkolby]

Where w

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Where would the copper come from? I'm not disputing that but aside from the Walmart $10 Waterhose bag cleaner there has been nothing else.

My pool care has only been bleach borax (to fix pH) and stabilizer.

 

[Donldson]

That is a strange reaction, especially with city water and no copper containing items.

At this point I would continue to keep the FC level up and SLAM the thing. After all, you need to clean up after a thousand tadpoles pooing in it. If your water stays green but the cloudiness goes away then we will chase metals, but for now you know that your FC was zero and there was a LOT of organic matter in the pool. A SLAM is needed regardless.

 

[Texas Splash]

Karen, my apologies! I missed the kit in your first post at the bottom in your sig after the pics. I glanced right over it. That's my first mistake ALL day.

After re-reading the trail of posts, I still agree a SLAM is the right thing right now. Why? Because your very first post showed 0 FC (that's real bad), then within an hour it was 12. But we don't really see through the posts where the SLAM (high FC level) was "consistently maintained" for several days which is typically the case for a SLAM to be successful. Also, since on your 2nd test you didn't run a CYA test, we are unsure of that level. As you probably know by now, the FC and CYA levels work together during the SLAM. WE "must" be spot-on with those two numbers to SLAM.

I've seen several posts where metals like copper could be introduced into the pool via certain pool store products, but I don't think that's the case for you. More than anything, I really think that you need to be certain of the CYA so we can make sure what your target FC should be based on the Chlorine/CYA chart in my sig. That's they key to the SLAM ... and passing the 3 requirements of SLAM (clear water, OCLT no more than 1 FC, and CC < .5).

I hope I've helped answer your concerns and given you a good way forward. If you have any other questions, please ask. Sorry about the test kit oversight again. V/r ~ Pat

 

[Casey]

Any algaecides used last year? Those contain copper.

If you're CYA hasn't dissolved yet, squeeze and manipulate the sock to get into the water. SLAM at the level You targeted your CYA level to be.

 

[karenkolby]

No algaecides! The water that is in the pool has been in the pool since we put it up 4 years ago. We do not drain it each year.
All I have EVER put in the pool was bleach, stabilizer, baking soda, borax, and once (last year or year before) a little muriatic acid.

TO RECAP ...
Last Sunday is when I pulled the cover off to open the pool and the water was rather clear. I could see the bottom (even with all the tadpoles and the pine straw debris).

Yesterday morning with clear water like in the picture above, the readings were ...
FC 0
pH 7.2
TA 60
CYA 20 or lower b/c it doesn't register on the CYA test. I've been adding stabilizer in the socks on the noodle for about 3 days.
So at that time .. I added chlorox to bring it to FC 10 (b/c of no CYA) and added some borax for the pH.

Within an hour or so of doing this the water tuned green (second picture) and re-testing showed:
FC 12
pH 7.2
TA 80
CYA - I didn't retest primarily b/c I'm running out of test chemicals for this reading and stabilizer is still it the socks dissolving.
Because of responses about SLAMMING I added more chlorine thinking my CYA should be rising given the sock squeezing etc.

This morning I tested and ...
FC 23
TA 90
CYA 30 or 40
pH 7.8 (so the borox yesterday did the trick)

Of note a couple things ...
- I did retest for calcium this morning. It is at 20 and was at 20 last Sunday when I did my first test of the year.
- In addition to the TF-100 test kit I also have the Taylor K1000 kit. I used this to check the chlorine levels even though it only goes to an FC of 6. Adding the 5 drops to the water made the water turn ORANGE. I don't know if this means anything but am mentioning it in case it helps with the mystery.

With an FC of 23 and CYA at 30-40 I obviously don't need to add any bleach now.
Assuming FC stays at the SLAM level, am I now just in a waiting game for it to clear up, or should that already be happening 24 hrs post SLAM?

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello again Karen! You posted some more good info! It could just be a coincidence, but I suspect when you first pulled the cover off last weekend and saw the tadpoles, straw, etc, it was just the beginning of an algae flare-up about to happen. The green monster is now awake. Something we have to make very clear (because you have a lot of info to digest), although you "spiked" the FC higher than normal for a day or two, if wasn't a true SLAM. When we SLAM, we bring that FC up or slightly above the SLAM FC level based on that Chlorine/CYA chart. Once it's there, it MUST stay there ... sometimes for days or even a week or two! That is critical or you won't kill the algae and organisms in your water.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I would've asked you to hold on the borax since to SLAM ideally the PH should be at 7.2. The CYA needs to be a minimum of 30, and you appear to be there now. So let's recap how you need to proceed for a full SLAM:
- Get PH to 7.2 using poolmath calculator
- Take FC to your "FC SLAM" level based on the Chlorine/CYA chart; make sure that FC never drops until you pass all 3 criteria of:
1. Water is clear
2. You do not lose any more than 1ppm of FC overnight (that's the OCLT)
3. CC is <.5

At the same time, continue to run your pump 24/7, scrub all parts of your pool to expose and algae, and vacuum/clean filter as well. It's a lot of babysitting I know. We have ALL had to do it. But with patience and most importantly consistency, you will get that clear water back with just liquid bleach. But be prepared to have a good amount on-hand so you never drop below the FC SLAM level. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. We really want to help you get that pool back to crystal clear.

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PS ~ That calcium is very low, but I don't think it's contributing to the green. We should be able to address that after the SLAM.

 

[Casey]

How does your water look now Karen? Any better?