I'm trying to determine what exactly I'm dealing with here. Fiberglass pool with this along the sides and bends if the pool. Is this mustard algae? I've been adding liquid chlorine and I'm now getting red/rust settling on the steps and floor of the pool. Any thoughts?
Can you identify this?
- Thread starter natalieh
- Start date
dBsooner
Gold Supporter
Welcome to the forums neighbor! Glad you’re here!
What all have you put into your pool besides the chlorine? How much liquid chlorine have you been adding? How many gallons is your pool? Do you have a saltwater generator?
Chickasha… you on well water? Sure looks like algae. It would be really rare to have actual mustard algae, but not impossible. Probably just typical algae. Could also be a reaction to iron. Or both. If you’re on well water out there, i can almost bet it’s higher in iron… red dirt Oklahoma and all.
Do you have a test kit? If so, what’s your test numbers?
What all have you put into your pool besides the chlorine? How much liquid chlorine have you been adding? How many gallons is your pool? Do you have a saltwater generator?
Chickasha… you on well water? Sure looks like algae. It would be really rare to have actual mustard algae, but not impossible. Probably just typical algae. Could also be a reaction to iron. Or both. If you’re on well water out there, i can almost bet it’s higher in iron… red dirt Oklahoma and all.
Do you have a test kit? If so, what’s your test numbers?
Last edited:
Hi neighbor!
Our pool is 20k gallons with salt water generator. The last 3 weeks we have added so many products recommended by the pool store and nothing is working. We did not have algae prior and I feel like their recommendations dropped our chlorine so low that this developed. Our water turned to a tea/ rust color but they said there was not iron in the water and prescribed another $300 in product. I then began my own research and discovered the SLAM process. I decided to try this 3 days ago. My chlorine was at 0 and I added 9 gallons to get it 3 ppm on the test strip. Chlorine levels are staying up now and I have added 4 more gallons to reach the high levels. Current test strip reads:
TC 10+
FC 10 +
pH 7.6 (hard to read)
TA 120
CYA 25
I have been relying on test strips until I can pick up a test kit in OKC tomorrow.
We are on well water and it is also very hard water. I have been brushing the sides multiple times a day and backwashing has been required daily. We've also wondered if we'll need to replace the sand in the filter due to how dirty it has been. The pool was installed August 22.
Our pool is 20k gallons with salt water generator. The last 3 weeks we have added so many products recommended by the pool store and nothing is working. We did not have algae prior and I feel like their recommendations dropped our chlorine so low that this developed. Our water turned to a tea/ rust color but they said there was not iron in the water and prescribed another $300 in product. I then began my own research and discovered the SLAM process. I decided to try this 3 days ago. My chlorine was at 0 and I added 9 gallons to get it 3 ppm on the test strip. Chlorine levels are staying up now and I have added 4 more gallons to reach the high levels. Current test strip reads:
TC 10+
FC 10 +
pH 7.6 (hard to read)
TA 120
CYA 25
I have been relying on test strips until I can pick up a test kit in OKC tomorrow.
We are on well water and it is also very hard water. I have been brushing the sides multiple times a day and backwashing has been required daily. We've also wondered if we'll need to replace the sand in the filter due to how dirty it has been. The pool was installed August 22.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,294
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
I would suggest that you order a test kit now, you likely not find the test kits required in OKC. Link-->Test Kits Compared
Keeping high FC, without knowing your CYA can do damage to pool and equipment.
I would only add 3ppm of liquid chlorine until you have one of the recommended test kits. Add nothing else.
Let's fix the algae problem, then we can fix other chemistry problems.
While you are waiting, print out the SLAM instructions. Keep them with you...paper copy really helps. Link-->SLAM Process
We'll get to the slam when you have your kit.
Sincerely,
PoolStored
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,294
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
If you do decide to buy a kit in OKC, only buy one of the recommended test kits, no other.
I will pick up or order a recommended test kit. Based on the picture, are you thinking the problem is algae?
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,294
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,294
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Make sure you include the K-1766 Salt test kit. With your SWCG you will need it. I would also recommend getting a smart stir...really valuable with the salt test. Might seem expensive, but has actually saved me a bunch of money.
tftestkits.net
Smart Stir Magnetic Stirring Device
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,829
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
TheTF-Pro Salt will fit your needs well and comes with the salt test and the SmartStir stirrer device.
tftestkits.net
The K2006C and added K-1766 (salt test) but the SpeedStir would be extra.
The TF-Pro Salt winds up being a better value as the SmartStir is included for about the same price as the two Taylor kits without the stirrer device - at current prices. The kits all use the exact same reagents.
TF-Pro Salt
The K2006C and added K-1766 (salt test) but the SpeedStir would be extra.
The TF-Pro Salt winds up being a better value as the SmartStir is included for about the same price as the two Taylor kits without the stirrer device - at current prices. The kits all use the exact same reagents.
It looks like iron to me.
If it is not brushing off easily, it is probably iron.
Drop a vitamin C tablet on a spot to see if it makes any difference.
If it is not brushing off easily, it is probably iron.
Drop a vitamin C tablet on a spot to see if it makes any difference.
Can you list everything that has been added?
What was the initial condition of the water?
Do you have pictures from before all of this happened?
The test results are not reliable.
If all of the iron has dropped out as a stain, then there might not be very much left in the water.
dBsooner
Gold Supporter
Just food for thought, Chickasha is in central Oklahoma. Central and western Oklahoma are notorious for iron. Both in the dirt (hints “red dirt” … “red dirt country” music genre) and in the water tables.
Pic for context.
It depends on if it brushes off or not.
Algae brushes off easily from fiberglass because the surface is very smooth.
To me, this looks like it is stuck like a stain.
I have not seen iron this bad, so it is definitely unusual.
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) will be a definitive test.
I assume that you would be brushing this as much as possible, so if it was algae, it would be loose on the floor and not stuck to the walls.
Algae brushes off easily from fiberglass because the surface is very smooth.
To me, this looks like it is stuck like a stain.
I have not seen iron this bad, so it is definitely unusual.
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) will be a definitive test.
I assume that you would be brushing this as much as possible, so if it was algae, it would be loose on the floor and not stuck to the walls.
You can get algae that looks like this and that sticks to the walls and floors, but that typically takes a long time.
If this has been sitting all winter and the algae has had time to adhere to the walls and create a biofilm, then algae is more likely.
If this happened quickly, then it is probably iron.
Iron can stain very quickly as soon as the chlorine oxidizes the iron and an insoluble precipitate is formed.
If this has been sitting all winter and the algae has had time to adhere to the walls and create a biofilm, then algae is more likely.
If this happened quickly, then it is probably iron.
Iron can stain very quickly as soon as the chlorine oxidizes the iron and an insoluble precipitate is formed.
Decoy205
Silver Supporter
You got pool stored! Don’t go there any more. Get the test kits now and the fine folks here will walk you through getting your pool back to clear.
This did happen quickly. We were really close to being balanced and then got the tea colored water. I popped to the pool store for metal remover and retest (again, before I found this site) and they said I didn't have iron. I received a new protocol and chemicals from them and during that process I developed algae. I believe the algae is now gone and we're dealing with iron, like I originally suspected. Thank you!
It looks like some scale as well.
What are all readings including calcium hardness?
What are all readings including calcium hardness?