First - thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge on this site - have learned a lot. Newby here - with black algae on walls of pebble tec pool. Pump broke while on an extended trip (murphy's law strikes again), came home, got things cleaned up pretty good (I thought), but this black algae stuff is killin me ;-)
Current #'s
CYA 55
FC 20
ph 7.2
Sand filter
tried to follow previous posted BA advice. Been doing a slam for about 2 weeks. Brushing every day with wire brush - even brought out the pressure washer. Backwashed sand filter every 3 days just to make sure I am clearing any algae out of there too.
There has been improvement, At its worst I would say about 35% coverage (none on floor interestingly enough). Now down to about 20-25%?....the fact there are black pebbles in the mix up.....makes it frustratingly hard to figure out if I need to just brush harder or if I am scraping pebbles off (more than a few have hit the floor at this point). I am down to losing about -2-3 PPM FCa night. (was at 5-6 peak loss) But darn if the stuff is not still there. This pebble tech seems to be a nook and crany breeding ground - Just can't seem to clear out every spot - each morning/afternoon when brush/wash....... more flecks coming off the walls.
Appreciate ANY sage advice from the pool masters on this forum.
1) Seems like 2 weeks slamming is a long time to a Newbe - any advice on how long a slam can take - or am I just in a hopeless situation?
2) Does it make sense to drain the pool and let the algae dry out or spray the sides directly with chlorine or something?
3) FYI - on an acre lot bordering tonto forest in AZ - so do get a decent amount of organic material (mesquite needles, sage leaves, dust, small leaves) and warm pool water in summer - I am thinking this contributes, but could it make it impossible to fix with pebble tec?
3) Do I just need to stay the course /be more patient?
Thanks again for any input.
Charles
Current #'s
CYA 55
FC 20
ph 7.2
Sand filter
tried to follow previous posted BA advice. Been doing a slam for about 2 weeks. Brushing every day with wire brush - even brought out the pressure washer. Backwashed sand filter every 3 days just to make sure I am clearing any algae out of there too.
There has been improvement, At its worst I would say about 35% coverage (none on floor interestingly enough). Now down to about 20-25%?....the fact there are black pebbles in the mix up.....makes it frustratingly hard to figure out if I need to just brush harder or if I am scraping pebbles off (more than a few have hit the floor at this point). I am down to losing about -2-3 PPM FCa night. (was at 5-6 peak loss) But darn if the stuff is not still there. This pebble tech seems to be a nook and crany breeding ground - Just can't seem to clear out every spot - each morning/afternoon when brush/wash....... more flecks coming off the walls.
Appreciate ANY sage advice from the pool masters on this forum.
1) Seems like 2 weeks slamming is a long time to a Newbe - any advice on how long a slam can take - or am I just in a hopeless situation?
2) Does it make sense to drain the pool and let the algae dry out or spray the sides directly with chlorine or something?
3) FYI - on an acre lot bordering tonto forest in AZ - so do get a decent amount of organic material (mesquite needles, sage leaves, dust, small leaves) and warm pool water in summer - I am thinking this contributes, but could it make it impossible to fix with pebble tec?
3) Do I just need to stay the course /be more patient?
Thanks again for any input.
Charles
