Cloudy pool after phosphate treatment

[Babble0n]

I MUCH prefer that the SLAM is done with the SWG OFF. Everything is easier to understand.

I shut it off yesterday on this recommendation and surprisingly lost less FC overnight. Probably coincidence, but you're right, this makes it easier and it wasn't doing what I had hoped (helping to maintain FC) anyway. I tested earlier this morning and found FC to be 24 and CC 0. Also, I can see the plaster at the bottom again! I think a few more days and it will be totally clear at this rate, and all it took was 7 cases of bleach and an entire bottle of R-0871

 

[Babble0n]

It's been a while, but I wanted to post an epilogue to this saga as people reading later may be curious how this worked out, what the problem was, etc.

So rest assured, the water cleared up during a week or so of doing the SLAM process described on this site. Everything has returned to normal and we've been enjoying the heck out of the pool this summer.

TL;DR:
I didn't have algae, my cloudiness was caused by a too much clarifier product (Pool Juice 911) since it's enzyme based (enzymes are organics). The SLAM treatment fixed it because the additional chlorine oxidized all the organics away.

Post-mortem w/details:
This all started when I followed the pool store advice to treat for phosphates using their Bioguard Pool Juice Zero product. They recommended I follow that up with their Bioguard Pool Juice 911 product, an enzymatic clarifier according to the label, to clear up the cloudiness brought on by the phosphate treatment. Me, a naïve new pool owner, followed their advice that week and treated the pool for phosphates, waited two days, then treated using the recommended amount of Pool Juice 911 as per their computer's printout instructions.
The following week I took a new sample back to be tested and while the phosphates had dropped considerably (~4k -> ~1.2k), they recommended a second round of phosphate treatment, followed by a second dose of clarifier. (Spoiler alert! This is where I believe the problem stemmed from) I was assured their computer takes into account all the products it tells you to add so that it accounts for say, lowering the pH when you add stabilizer for example.
What I believe happened is that the computer didn't take into account the previous week's treatment using the clarifier. The clarifier has a warning on the bottle that says using too much may cause persistent cloudiness. *facepalm*
I say this because I have never seen any evidence of algae in the pool, no slick surfaces, no growth on anything, nothing that looks even remotely like algae ever showed up, and in the end, we had no dead brown algae to remove.

Thanks again for the great resource and advice from everyone who helped answer my questions and guide me on this journey! Picture attached to show results

 

[Flying Tivo]

What I believe happened is that the computer didn't take into account the previous week's treatment using the clarifier. The clarifier has a warning on the bottle that says using too much may cause persistent cloudiness. *facepalm*

Hate to bust you bubble, but dont try to justify the poolstore or the products, they are worthless. If you keep a strict diet of Chlorine(swg), Muriatic acid and CYA, that is all you will ever need, even if phosphates are 10k. Your Cl levels before were borderline low and adding all the stuff just compounded the situation. Trust you test kit and yourself, run your Cl on the higher side, i run 7-9 that gives you some safety margin. Glad you sorted it out and it was algae no doubt about it.

 

[Donldson]

I didn't have algae, my cloudiness was caused by a too much clarifier product (Pool Juice 911) since it's enzyme based (enzymes are organics).

Weird that you had considerable FC loss overnight and that your water started clearing when you raised your FC level, which is exactly what would happen if you had algae.

 

[Newdude]

What I believe happened is that the computer didn't take into account the previous week's treatment using the clarifier.

Seeing how their terrible advice *comes from* the system, it's not a lack of tracking that's the issue. It's the automated advice, programmed to sell you the most amount of products possible, regardless of the issues they may cause.

My own pool store people sold me copper based algecide many times, only to ask me why my copper levels were increasing on subsequent visits. Surely they would know it was from the product the machine reccomended, right ? Surely the Bioguard magic 8 ball wouldn't advise me to add harmful products, right ?

So rest assured, the water cleared up during a week or so of doing the SLAM process described on this site.

Just want to confirm you passed an OCLT with flying colors. We'd hate to see you back at square one in a couple weeks.

 

[Newdude]

Here's a buddy's 'free test' *snickers*

8 things were reccomended with clear water. *8*. Two added CYA, one added copper which they also pointed out was above the threshold at .4, then a product to remove the copper they had him add (which doesn't work of course) and a few mystery potions. Had he done what the system asked, (and tracked), he wouldn't have been clear for long.



We got you now. They only way they are to touch your water is if you walk in and dump it on the machine to save everybody else.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

I like the last line of the printout. "Retreat if necessary." As in, make a hasty retreat from the pool store!

 

[JJ_Tex]

Kleen-it, Banish, Smart Shock...those are some fancy names and all trademarked so you know they are legit.

I'm glad I have a salt pool. My water has been perfect since I started using Salt Bae's Weekly Pool Water Seasoning (TM).

 

[Babble0n]

> Glad you sorted it out and it was algae no doubt about it.

Interesting, a blue algae?