Above ground pool, advice please

[toxictreacle]

Hi all ☺
I got an above ground pool a while back and it's been full around 4 days. For some reason I thought it would stay pretty clear for a while without water change etc. I'm after some advice. The pool is a little slimy around the sides and I have been reading up on the BBB method. However I'm in the uk and borax is banned here so cannot get any ?. I was going to add some bleach this afternoon, and seem as it's seeming like its not going to stay hot too long I was going to try and ride it out until I take it down, however I feel a bit funny about getting in it. I don't have any test strips etc and I don't get paid until next week to get a pool cleaning kit. Anything else I can do in the mean time. The ph level is around 6 by the looks of it on my bog standard ph test strips. Any advice appreciated.
Thank you
Roxanne
Ps the pool has a filter which I have had on about 5 hours a day. With the 4 hour ish filling time i don't want to empty it and clean it and full it again, especially after the 3 times it was filled and emptied while I figured out the ground wasn't even ? dreading the water bill.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hi Roxanne and welcome! Well, you may guess what our first response will be ... test kit! As soon as you are able, please do yourself a favor and get either the Taylor K-2006 or TF-100 (link below). That's a #1 priority. Do not rely on any pool stores for advice.

What can you do now? Well, PH testing is fairly common to obtain, and it you are sure it is low, then yes definitely get that up to the mid-7s right away.

As for the slime and water that is/will turn cloudy/green, it will need to be "SLAMmed". SLAM link is below. But without the right test kit, you can't really start that yet. Do you have access to regular household bleach? There should be a label that shows something like 8.25% Sodium Hypochlorite. Start buying a few of those. Until you can get a test kit, add about 1/2 gallon each day/evening top the water in hopes of keeping it from getting any worse.

Have you ever put any Stabilizer/Conditioner in the water? It protects your chlorine from the sun, and you initially want a beginning amount of 30 ppm by using the Poolmath calculator (link also below).

I don't want to overload you with info, but the test kit, adjust yoru PH, add stabilizer, and use only liquid bleach to your pool are your first courses of action. The filter itself will not clear-up a chemical problem.

Also, please add your pool info to your signature by going to the top of the TFP web page (just under the Pool School button) and select "SETTINGS". On the next page look to the left for a menu bar that says, “MY SETTINGS” and go to "EDIT SIGNATURE" to enter your pool and equipment info there. It will help us later.

 

[singingpond]

Do you have washing soda or soda ash available locally, or even any pool supply store pH+ product? Borax isn't the only way to get your pH levels up.

I agree with putting some bleach in there to combat the slimy stuff (algae starting). About what volume is the pool (can't be very large with only four hours fill time)? How long do you hope to have it set up? Knowing these factors will help us give better advice.