Can you post some pics of it?
When it get's on the walls is it typically in the shady areas, or other places too?
When it get's on the walls is it typically in the shady areas, or other places too?
Chronic mustard algae
- Thread starter mom of 5 kids
- Start date
Still working on this. Last night, chlorine level was 12 based on my dilution. This morning, it was 4. It's still perfectly clear but I guess the chlorine drop tells me there's still a lot going on here. Still brushing the sides, adding 2 gallons chlorine a day and son cleaned the filter (gross!). Test kit is on its way... I'm out of chlorine test solution anyway.
Sorry, didn't notice the question. The appearance of the algae is gone now but I've been tricked by this before. If it grows back again, I'll take the picture. Comparing it with pictures of mustard algae I see on the net, it seems the same only with no floating blobs. It grows all over but the whole pool is in the sun. It may be thicker in the deep end, but it's hard to tell due to the murkiness. There is a lot of yellow/brown/green slime on the filter cartridges. This brown stuff sticks to the filter cartridges like glue normally and won't flush off, but when we add algaecide, it comes off readily. The filter's pressure doesn't seem to go up when it's full of this brown stuff either. It's about 8 after its flushed and it was 12 when it was dirty. Pool supply guy says mustard algae grows on the filter. Pool supply guy is the one who "diagnosed" my pool problem. If he's wrong, what else could it be?
If your FC was 2 ppm and if the CYA was 52 ppm then there's no wonder you've been getting algae. However, these numbers are probably wrong anyway since pool store testing is notoriously inaccurate. If you were using stabilized chlorine (Trichlor, Dichlor) then the CYA number may be higher than they report. You'll know much more when you get your test kit so be sure to post numbers when you get it.mom of 5 kids said:
Jeetyet
0
If you have a ladder check/scrub under the steps. If you have an underwater light in a niche, remove it and check behind it for crud.
It's back!. After the Baptism, the pool was cloudy so I shocked it by adding 6 gallons of chlorine. (50+ people swam in it that day). That seemed to clear it up but then I went away to my son's soccer tournament for a few days and came back to a cloudy pool again. I finally got a test kit and measured everything: CYA 80, FC 6+ TA 110, CA 210, pH 7.4, CC near nothing, the pressure on the filter is 10 psi. I added 4 gallons of chlorine per the booklet in the test kit and the resultant level was 20+ (I had to dilute the water 1/10 with bottled water to measure it). I measured the chlorine day and night and the FC didn't hardly decrease during the night. In fact, it took a week to get the level back down to 3-5 ppm as it is today. It is cloudy and puce green! It has yellow stuff that poofs off when you brush the sides and bottom. I took pictures but I failed when I tried to attach it to my post. Do I really have to keep the FC level up at 20?
A 20FC is in the middle between the target and the shock level 31FC suggested in the CHYA/Chlorine chart here at TFP. The suggestions at PoolCalc are less aggressive. With an 80CYA, it's really hard to get control of an algae bloom, even harder if it is an mustard bloom.
Follow this chart for shock levels, they are more aggressive. You should also notice on the chart your recommended FC level is not the 3-5 you are aiming for but 6-9 given your CYA of 80.
The SLAM process was suggested when you first posted this, that advice still has not changed. make sure you read up on it and follow it carefully to completely remove the algae.
Since you cannot read an FC above 5 you did not get a recommended test kit and will not be able to SLAM properly. You cannot get an accurate enough read on FC by dilution, you need an FAS-DPD test which is included in either of the recommended test kits. You can also by an FAS-DPD test separately since you already have a somewhat decent kit.
It might be prudent to lower your CYA down before attempting this. This can be done by draining and replacing about 40% of your water. This will help make everything a bit more manageable in both SLAMing and in regular maintenance. It isn't necessary but will make things easier for you.
The SLAM process was suggested when you first posted this, that advice still has not changed. make sure you read up on it and follow it carefully to completely remove the algae.
Since you cannot read an FC above 5 you did not get a recommended test kit and will not be able to SLAM properly. You cannot get an accurate enough read on FC by dilution, you need an FAS-DPD test which is included in either of the recommended test kits. You can also by an FAS-DPD test separately since you already have a somewhat decent kit.
It might be prudent to lower your CYA down before attempting this. This can be done by draining and replacing about 40% of your water. This will help make everything a bit more manageable in both SLAMing and in regular maintenance. It isn't necessary but will make things easier for you.
Thank you, I understand I am not aggressive enough. I am shy on spending so much money on chlorine so I don't do the job all the way. I am dealing with it now more properly. But now I have a perhaps new problem. I got rid of the yellow poofy algae and the pool is lovely blue again however it is cloudy. Also my son jumped in and his skin stung for two days! He is a competitive swimmer and doesn't react to high Chlorine levels. I can't imagine algae is still floating in there as the CC difference is near zero and there is almost no change in the FC overnight. Plus, there is so much chlorine in there (10+ ppm)! I added clarifier and now I can kind of see the drain at the bottom of the deep end. The TA is high-ish at 150 ppm (my son measured it and got a higher number than I did). Could it be CA precipitating into the water when the CA level is only at 210 and the pH is 7.4? (We both got those values). I read up on adding acid and aerating etc. but I don't want to get into that if the problem is something else. Thank you for your help. I am listening by the way.
By the way, the filter has been freshly cleaned and we ran if for 16 hours. It has good pressure and the vacuum scurries all over the bottom so I don't think that is the problem.
Can you post up a full set of results, including
FC - Free Chlorine
CC - Combined Chlorine
pH -
TA - Total Alkalinity
CH - Calcium Hardness
CYA - Cyanuric Acid (stabilizer)
FC - Free Chlorine
CC - Combined Chlorine
pH -
TA - Total Alkalinity
CH - Calcium Hardness
CYA - Cyanuric Acid (stabilizer)
I had my son test again and I took a sample to the pool supply shop and had them test it:
My son's readings: FC: 8 (there was no change when tested for CC), pH 7.8 (it went up!) CA: 220, TA 110, CYA 80.
Pool Supply Shop: FC 10, pH 7.8, TA 110, CYA 60, CC negligible. I don't remember CA.
My son's readings: FC: 8 (there was no change when tested for CC), pH 7.8 (it went up!) CA: 220, TA 110, CYA 80.
Pool Supply Shop: FC 10, pH 7.8, TA 110, CYA 60, CC negligible. I don't remember CA.
Also, the pool supply guy suggested that since the algae was so high that there is still residual dead algae that the clarifier couldn't deal with and he suggests adding more.
I typed a bunch and then read again... duh..
Mostly you have blue water and cloudiness? Is this correct?
If so, adjust your pH down to 7.2 (adding Muriatic Acid will do this in minutes) and keep filtering. I would not use a clarifier unless you really continue to have problems.
I type the below thinking you were still having green water...
With a CYA of 60 (best case) you would need a shock level of 24FC
With a CYA of 80 (worst case) you would need a shock level of 31FC
I would say, you can trust the values from Best as they seem to know what they are doing, based on my visits. I have never had my water tested there. I know they use All-Clear (IIRC) drop based testing there.
Either way, a 10FC is not enough chlorine to kill an algae bllom. It doesn't matter how much clarifier you use if the algae continues to grow and create more algae (and debris you need to filter when killed). While you are killing some algae with a 10FC, you are only keeping up with the growth. Basically you are trying to pass a car that is driving 55 MPH by going 56 MPH. You may eventually pass the car but if it speeds up, you are sunk.
Mostly you have blue water and cloudiness? Is this correct?
If so, adjust your pH down to 7.2 (adding Muriatic Acid will do this in minutes) and keep filtering. I would not use a clarifier unless you really continue to have problems.
I type the below thinking you were still having green water...
With a CYA of 60 (best case) you would need a shock level of 24FC
With a CYA of 80 (worst case) you would need a shock level of 31FC
I would say, you can trust the values from Best as they seem to know what they are doing, based on my visits. I have never had my water tested there. I know they use All-Clear (IIRC) drop based testing there.
Either way, a 10FC is not enough chlorine to kill an algae bllom. It doesn't matter how much clarifier you use if the algae continues to grow and create more algae (and debris you need to filter when killed). While you are killing some algae with a 10FC, you are only keeping up with the growth. Basically you are trying to pass a car that is driving 55 MPH by going 56 MPH. You may eventually pass the car but if it speeds up, you are sunk.