Algae Pool Starting My 1st SLAM

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rockymtns99

0
Jun 24, 2014
17
Smyrna, DE
I am new to being a pool owner. I have been reading posts on here and have been encouraged that I can do this. So, without further adieu, here are my first results from my test kit. I currently have an Aquachek 7 kit. According to the strip, I have:

Total Hardness - 250ppm
TC - 0ppm
FC - 0ppm
pH - 7.2
TA - 80ppm
CA - 30-50ppm

The pool had/has severe algae and, I have been shocking it with some PooLife Active Cystals and Back To Blue to get to where I am now. Unfortunately, I had to let the pool sit for a day and a half because, I needed to install new seals on my Vari-Flow filter head to try to cure an air leak. Now, here is what the pool looks like.

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I need to figure out my first doses. I have some powder shock to use up as well as 13 bottles of 12.5% bleach to use.

Here goes...

Steve
 
With that swamp, you will definitely need a good test kit. I personally recommend the TF-100 XL with speed stir. In the short time I've had a pool, I have tried many different test kits and this one is by far the most accurate and easiest to use.

You will get great guidance here killing that monster. Good Luck.
 
kiss4afrog said:
Welcome to the forum :wave:

Stay clam :calm: we are here to help, any you need help.
Click to expand...

Thank you everyone! This is sure to be an adventure! I have finally got the multiport head working smoothly. Other than taking a backwash bath tonight (hose popped off!), it has been a fun evening of scooping utter filth from the bottom. There was so much down there that I haven't vacuumed yet in fear of emptying the pump basket every 30 seconds. I have most of the leaf debris under control. There is still a little bit down there. I will start round 10 of scooping in the morning. I am excited to do the SLAM and learn the TFPC system. The test kit will be my next upgrade. Getting this going has been a major investment but, it will be worth it in the long run.

I finally started to smell chlorine tonight and a dead frog floating. I'd rather see that than the dead mouse I scooped out yesterday. I only have one more bottle of powder shock. The one thing I did notice tonight was whitish specks floating on the surface. I am not sure if this is the dead algae or the flocc'd particles from the Back to Blue crud that the pool store sold me on last weekend (No magic happened afterwards like I was hoping for). I will be on the hunt now for bleach on sale.

The last test before I shocked again was:

Total Hardness - 250ppm
TC - 3-4ppm
FC - 0.3 ppm
pH - 7.2
TA - 80ppm
CA - 30-50ppm
 
Here is a little helper to figure out how much you are paying per for the actual chlorine per oz. This way you can compare 12.5% in a 128 oz bottle to 8% in a 53 oz or whatever odd combination you run across. You might even be lucky and be in an area where a pool store or hardware store sells you a 5 gal container and they refill it. So many fewer bottles in the recycling bin and usually it's cheaper $$.
http://poncatechsquad.com/Dan/Chlorine/

Other than profit I don't understand pool stores recommending flock until you've done enough treating to at least have it mostly blue but cloudy. Big thing with flock is for it to work and clump up with the small stuff and settle to the bottom you have to be able to see it to vac it to waste. In the beginning you can barely see a first step much less the bottom of the deep end !! Even if it worked you wouldn't know it.

So much for my rant. Keep up the raking as everything you get out now saves you $$$ in the amount of bleach you'll need to complete the SLAM. You should also start to brush the sides and bottom at least daily. Helps keep things stirred up :stirpot: and lets the chlorine and filter do their job. Rake first, sweep second.
 
kiss4afrog said:
Here is a little helper to figure out how much you are paying per for the actual chlorine per oz. This way you can compare 12.5% in a 128 oz bottle to 8% in a 53 oz or whatever odd combination you run across. You might even be lucky and be in an area where a pool store or hardware store sells you a 5 gal container and they refill it. So many fewer bottles in the recycling bin and usually it's cheaper $$.
http://poncatechsquad.com/Dan/Chlorine/

Other than profit I don't understand pool stores recommending flock until you've done enough treating to at least have it mostly blue but cloudy. Big thing with flock is for it to work and clump up with the small stuff and settle to the bottom you have to be able to see it to vac it to waste. In the beginning you can barely see a first step much less the bottom of the deep end !! Even if it worked you wouldn't know it.

So much for my rant. Keep up the raking as everything you get out now saves you $$$ in the amount of bleach you'll need to complete the SLAM. You should also start to brush the sides and bottom at least daily. Helps keep things stirred up :stirpot: and lets the chlorine and filter do their job. Rake first, sweep second.
Click to expand...

Just got done skimming, raking for 3-4 hours. I still am getting some leaves off of the bottom but, it is a lot less than yesterday. It is hard to tell but, I think it is a little less turbid. I have backwashed twice since yesterday and I am 5psi from another.

I am going to make some calls about liquid chlorine like you said. I'm ready to start dumping some bleach in right now.

This morning numbers:
Total Hardness - 250
TC - 1
FC - 0.5
pH - 7.2
TA - 80
CYA - 30-50

I need to figure out the amount I need of bleach to start SLAM'n the right way.
 
kiss4afrog said:
Here is a little helper to figure out how much you are paying per for the actual chlorine per oz. This way you can compare 12.5% in a 128 oz bottle to 8% in a 53 oz or whatever odd combination you run across. You might even be lucky and be in an area where a pool store or hardware store sells you a 5 gal container and they refill it. So many fewer bottles in the recycling bin and usually it's cheaper $$.
http://poncatechsquad.com/Dan/Chlorine/

Other than profit I don't understand pool stores recommending flock until you've done enough treating to at least have it mostly blue but cloudy. Big thing with flock is for it to work and clump up with the small stuff and settle to the bottom you have to be able to see it to vac it to waste. In the beginning you can barely see a first step much less the bottom of the deep end !! Even if it worked you wouldn't know it.

So much for my rant. Keep up the raking as everything you get out now saves you $$$ in the amount of bleach you'll need to complete the SLAM. You should also start to brush the sides and bottom at least daily. Helps keep things stirred up :stirpot: and lets the chlorine and filter do their job. Rake first, sweep second.
Click to expand...

Thanks, for the suggestion. My local pool store has liquid chlorine in gallon jugs (12.5%) for $6.99! I can buy two gallons at Walmart of 8.25% for less than $6. I'm still looking for the best deals as, I will be out of my 12.5% jugs quickly. I need to test the pool in a little bit to make sure that the 12.5% bleach jugs I bought are still potent. If not, using these jugs will be not worth my time.

I noticed that Home Depot has 8.25% for $2.99 which is not bad. This is about what Walmart has their GV brand for. Leslie's has a store about 30 miles from me and they sell the 12.5% for $11.99(2 pk) and 5 gal buckets for $21.99(have to pay a $6 deposit on the bucket...that's a racket there as they don't refill. I hope they reuse them at least). They don't sell the Taylor kits but apparently, they sell their own branded version.
 
Picked up some 8.25% bleach at Dollar General for $2.95 (121oz). It was cheaper than the pool store per oz. I am ready to shock again before the night ends. I have one more backwash tonight (4 today) and then more bleach. I am back down to 3ppm FC. I was much higher earlier. Tried to vacuum the bottom but clogged my pipes which was fun snaking out to get the system working again. Ughh!
 

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kiss4afrog said:
Sounds like you need to use that leaf rake a bit more before you try to vacuum again :oops:
Click to expand...

Haha! You don't have to say that one again! I could see a big improvement today. After getting back tonight from my neice's birthday party, I could almost see halfway down in the 3ft section of the pool. The pool is making progress. I will post a pic below from this morning.

I also made it to Leslie's Pool over in the next county and picked up their Deluxe testing kit which is a rebranded Taylor's kit. They did not have the FAS kit but, I understand that this is something I can add to my arsenal separately. The light was dimming quick tonight. I will do a full test tomorrow to see my true numbers.

One plus is that I have only had to backwash 1 time today. Yesterday was 4 times but, I was really stirring up the water to get as much of the leaf debris out as possible. I got a couple good scoops tonight but, there is not much down there. When I drag the net down in the deep section, I feel less of that soggy soft 'feel' to bottom. It feels smooth for the most part. I also got some liquid floc but am unsure when I should try that again as I will have to turn the pump off for 12-24 hrs.

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Replies in red.
rockymtns99 said:
Haha! You don't have to say that one again! I could see a big improvement today. After getting back tonight from my neice's birthday party, I could almost see halfway down in the 3ft section of the pool. The pool is making progress. I will post a pic below from this morning.

I also made it to Leslie's Pool over in the next county and picked up their Deluxe testing kit which is a rebranded Taylor's kit. They did not have the FAS kit but, I understand that this is something I can add to my arsenal separately. The light was dimming quick tonight. I will do a full test tomorrow to see my true numbers.

Yes, the FAS-DPD test can be added separately.

One plus is that I have only had to backwash 1 time today. Yesterday was 4 times but, I was really stirring up the water to get as much of the leaf debris out as possible. I got a couple good scoops tonight but, there is not much down there. When I drag the net down in the deep section, I feel less of that soggy soft 'feel' to bottom. It feels smooth for the most part. I also got some liquid floc but am unsure when I should try that again as I will have to turn the pump off for 12-24 hrs.

Continue scooping blind. The more you get out, the less there is consuming your bleach. Generally, we do not recommend the use of floc - some members see major improvement when it is used towards the end of SLAM, most don't.
Click to expand...
 
Hey all! Every year around this time I cruise on by the forums. Don't make my mistake. I let my husband and his best friend go buy some of that "Green to Blue" from Walmart. I have a very strict "no floc" policy and after he threw it in I realized what he had done. Our pool had been sitting dormant for two years due to the filter and Jandy valve failing. I think the only thing we accomplished was adding to the inches of junk on the bottom. After about 2 weeks of vacuuming, raking, and backwashing the pool finally opens this week.
The secret is to keep on top of it. One day ignored equals money just being thrown into your pool.
 
IF you use the floc it would be best near the end of your SLAM. The thing about floc or clairifier is that it's claim to fame is it bonds and or clumps with small stuff in the pool and drops to the bottom giving you some clarity.
Is the "Back to Blue" you used before the same as you just picked up ?? Do the instructions say after turning off the pump and letting it settle for 12-24hrs to vac to waste ??

The problem I had with your pool stores advise to toss it into the green monster a week ago is even if it worked you would not be able to tell as there is just too much "stuff" floating around in that green a pool.

I'm not a big proponent of floc and I know it's frowned upon here but in some cases I think it's worth a try.

The big problem I see is that now it's sitting on the bottom of your pool and if you read the directions it's supposed to be vacuumed to waste. Floc is something you don't want to be running into your filter. That makes sweeping and vacuuming your pool a problem. If you start sweeping the bottom you'll disturb the floc and it will get pulled into the filter.

If they try to give you algaecide do not buy it and please don't put it in the pool. The chlorine is all you'll need to keep it clean and you might get there without the floc too :whoot:
 
I have more clarity to the water although, the pool continues to eat my chlorine. I am going to do a complete test of the water today now, that I have a better 'Taylor' test kit. I was surprised how different the pH was on initial testing with the kit. I had to do a base demand to get the color to change to my desired pH. I am going to recheck. I think I am somewhere around 11 drops off from my goal. That is way off from the test strips I was using at first. I can't test for borates but, I may call the pool store to see if they have a test in their analysis for this. I know Borax will increase my pH and help buffer the water but, I don't know what level I am at currently. I will post a new pic and current numbers in a bit. I may hold on to the FLOC and bring it back to the store (??). It was a liquid floc. The back to blue was a powder that I used at first.
 
Just use the bottom of the ph test scale as the now in PoolMath and set your target to 7.5 ish. add that, circulate for 30 minutes and retest. Repeat until the pH is on the 7s.
 
According to my calculations, the pH base demand test recommends that I need 10.24lbs of Soda Ash or between 2-3 boxes of Borax

FC - 0
TC - 1
pH - <7.0 (11 drops of Base Demand Test Reagent)
TA - 80
CH - 120
CYA - Near 0 (so much for thinking I was higher with the test strips) - Chlorine not stabilized...explains much

Water is getting clearer though. I could see shadows where the bottom was murky. Did vacuum the shallows this afternoon. I need to boost the pH and add stabilizer (CYA).

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