We've had a lot of rain this Spring so I have fought cloudy water for awhile. Water is clean just a little cloudy. Was taking samples to pool store weekly and following their advice, as well as buying what I was told I needed. Never completely cleared up but was real close until.... Went on vacation, stayed a little longer than planned on staying after we got there. Had a boy coming buy to check on things and water everything, I had left him some shock to put in the pool before we got home so hopefully we would return to even prettier water than we had at the beach. To our horror we came home to a dark green swamp!!! Took samples to pool store, my last trip to a pool store hopefully. My better half found some videos online so we decided to give it a go ourselves. We do not have a test kit yet, ordered a Taylor 2006. Currently just using 6 way test strips. I have fought the green since Tuesday with little improvement. First off added cynuric acid to raise the level up from 11, then started adding bleach, as well as a bottle of algaecide, muriatic acid trying to balance everything and get the fc to a level to start fighting the algae. Since Tuesady evening I have added GLB supersonic, clear view granular chlorinating concentrate, and 22 gals of bleach. Test strip shows total chlorine very high, fc off the color chart high, stabilizer good, ph a color that doesn't even register. Sand in filter doesn't show channeling, so I have flushed it only not replaced. I have brushed the sides and bottom often, vacuumed not that I could see, back washed 5-6 times a day. It's not as dark a green, slight brown tint to it now. But still not clearing, scum on top in the mornings not as bad. Not sure what to do.... Drain and start over????
Help with the "Swamp"
- Thread starter Kolo
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
Until your test kit arrives I would stop adding anything other than liquid chlorine/bleach.
All of the solid products contain things you may or may not need until you can get a reliable test reading.
Until your test kit arrives I would stop adding anything other than liquid chlorine/bleach.
All of the solid products contain things you may or may not need until you can get a reliable test reading.
Re: Help with the "Swamp"
Okay thanks, any suggestions on how much liquid chlorine?
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This is my first pool and I am clueless, but learning. Do I need to be trying to keep everything balanced or just keep the chlorine going to kill the algae then start trying to balance it
Okay thanks, any suggestions on how much liquid chlorine?
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This is my first pool and I am clueless, but learning. Do I need to be trying to keep everything balanced or just keep the chlorine going to kill the algae then start trying to balance it
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,754
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Good size pool you have, so I would think about 1/2 - one gallon a day until your kit arrives. Let's compare replies. 
Until you get the kit you are in more of a holding pattern. You have a fairly large pool, so you could easily add a full bottle of 8.25% bleach without fear of damaging the liner.
Re: Help with the "Swamp"
First thing you need is a test kit to manage your own pool. You're on the way with that!
While you're waiting, the best thing to do is put yourself through Pool School. You can start with ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and work through some of the other articles that pertain to what you're headed for. Check out the links in my signature as well and most importantly, play around with Pool Math as well. You'll needed it to calculate chemical additions when SLAMing and when balancing other levels after the SLAM process. If you read the SLAM procedure in detail, it tells you exactly what you need to do in order to clear the pool. Pay special attention to the prerequisites.
First thing you need is a test kit to manage your own pool. You're on the way with that!
While you're waiting, the best thing to do is put yourself through Pool School. You can start with ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and work through some of the other articles that pertain to what you're headed for. Check out the links in my signature as well and most importantly, play around with Pool Math as well. You'll needed it to calculate chemical additions when SLAMing and when balancing other levels after the SLAM process. If you read the SLAM procedure in detail, it tells you exactly what you need to do in order to clear the pool. Pay special attention to the prerequisites.
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Just wanted to welcome you to the forum 
While you're waiting on your test kit how about a couple photos of that pool ??
While you're waiting on your test kit how about a couple photos of that pool ??
Not at all! This will be good. Open up a photobucket account or something and do a photo essay. You could make it to the Inspirational Threads thread.
Posting Photo's Tutorial
Going to get ahead of myself a tad for a moment, while I have some expert ears out there. After I get our little puddle back under control do I need to quit using the 3" chlorinating tabs the "store" has been pushing and maintain with liquid chlorine only. From what I've been reading seems as though they are a waste of large amounts of $$$ as well as can cause further problems.
Pretty much, but, that said, we'll teach you to manage those pucks so they do not overwhelm you. There are some times (like vacations) when pucks can be helpful.....they just have to be managed.
I have a pentair automatic chlorinator/brominator that I keep full of pucks. I also keep 1 in the skimmer basket on weak side and 2 on the strong side.
Re: Help with the "Swamp"
Ok I got my test kit today, pulled a sample and this was the readings I got: TC 10 FC 10 CC 0 PH7.3 CYA 80. Tried to measure the alkalinity but could never get the sample to turn red, varying shades of pink was best I could get. So any and all suggestions about what to do next would be greatly appreciated
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From what I've gathered to slam my pool based off my test results I need to bring my FC up to 31 and have it maintain at that level??
Ok I got my test kit today, pulled a sample and this was the readings I got: TC 10 FC 10 CC 0 PH7.3 CYA 80. Tried to measure the alkalinity but could never get the sample to turn red, varying shades of pink was best I could get. So any and all suggestions about what to do next would be greatly appreciated
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From what I've gathered to slam my pool based off my test results I need to bring my FC up to 31 and have it maintain at that level??
Looks to need about 10 1/2 gals of 8.25% bleach if I figured right. Does that need to all go in at once?
You are already ahead of the game with the test kit! Good job!
Now please take out ALL of the pucks. Do not just turn the inline to off. Take the pucks out. You can save them for when you go out of town.
You might want to think about draining some of your water. With your CYA at 80 it is going to take a LOT of bleach to clear your pool. Here is a link to pool math. It will tell you how much to drain and refill to get your CYA down to 30 which is purrfect for a SLAM.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
Let us know if you need any help using pool math.
Yes that should go in all at the same time. Slowly in front of a return with the pump on.
Kim
Now please take out ALL of the pucks. Do not just turn the inline to off. Take the pucks out. You can save them for when you go out of town.
You might want to think about draining some of your water. With your CYA at 80 it is going to take a LOT of bleach to clear your pool. Here is a link to pool math. It will tell you how much to drain and refill to get your CYA down to 30 which is purrfect for a SLAM.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
Let us know if you need any help using pool math.
Yes that should go in all at the same time. Slowly in front of a return with the pump on.
Kim
Awesome!! Thanks, Momma is off Monday - Wednesday if I can get her in the pool before she goes back to work she will be happy happy happy!!!
I would certainly drain up to 50% of the pool volume to get to 40 ppm CYA if you're going to be manually chlorinating the pool with bleach/liquid shock for maintenance. 40-50 CYA would be ideal for your region and a lower CYA makes it easier/cheaper to complete the SLAM process.
Had level a little low already from last vacuum, hooked up the submersible pump to get some more out. Next question, when I start refilling it do I need to worry with the PH levels or just pour the chlorine to it and adjust everything after I get it clear? And how long do I need to wait after adding the chlorine before I test again
So I need to remove all pucks from chlorinator and skimmer baskets before I start the SLAM? Do I need to shut the flow through chlorinator off afterwards or let it circulate empty on low