Dirt / stains in bottom of pool?
- Thread starter BilldaCat
- Start date
Wobblerlorri
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- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
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- 4024
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- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
No luck -- I grabbed some liquid chlorine and applied it to a scrubber to try to get it off, did nothing. Took a chlorine tablet and rubbed it against it directly, nothing -- a small amount of brown transferred to the chlorine tablet, but there's no visible difference at the bottom of the pool.
Didn't run my hand over it but when I was rubbing everything else over it, I didn't feel any bumps at all.
Didn't run my hand over it but when I was rubbing everything else over it, I didn't feel any bumps at all.
Vinyl. It's only in this one corner of the pool too. Not sure if some foliage maybe got under the pool cover and sat here for 6 months or what it could possibly be. Figured scrubbing it directly with chlorine might do something but no dice.
Ok -- there's stains on the steps too, I thought it was just dirt. After some reading, I took a vitamin C drop and held it to a spot, and it certainly 'poofed' a bit, but not total removal. I could keep at it I suppose, but there are *hundreds* of these dots. Any ideas on a faster solution to tackle all these?
Wobblerlorri
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- Apr 16, 2019
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- Vinyl
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Black Algae
This guide provides a step by step procedure for eliminating black algae in your concrete or gunite pool. Read full post here.
www.troublefreepool.com
Hmm -- thanks. Just not sure if this is black algae or iron given I have vinyl. I'll do some more testing tomorrow.
Wobblerlorri
Bronze Supporter
- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
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- 4024
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Do like the article says -- scrape up some and smear it on a white paper. If it smears greenish black, it's black algae.
Yeah, smearing brown -- was hard to get any up, but scraped some off the step with a putty knife and the poof was brown and where I rubbed the white paper on the step was brown.
One store near me had 3 bottles of the HTH pool scale/metal cleaner, dumped that in an hour or so ago, did some scrubbing but my brush isn't coarse enough to do anything to the vinyl, and a stainless steel one would wreck it. Hoping that solution works. Any idea until how long I may see results (about 20k gallon pool)? Going to keep scrubbing periodically in this area but don't expect the brush to do much.
Seeing what I assume are calcium flakes on the water's surface (looks like dandelion stuff), but my test strips keep coming back saying the calcium hardness is ok -- around 200ish. PH was low (mid 6s) so I'm bringing that back up, but not sure if that's going to fix things.
Getting pretty frustrated between the inability to do anything to remove the stains (tried both breaking a chlorine puck and scrubbing, and smashing 15 vitamin C tablets in a sock and letting it sit/scrub, both to no effect). Shut down the pool and sprayed (DE)/washed out the filters, which did have a decent amount of algae/crud on them. Letting the pump run overnight and see where I'm at in the morning.
Big container of powdered vitamin C comes tomorrow but my hopes are not high at the moment.
Getting pretty frustrated between the inability to do anything to remove the stains (tried both breaking a chlorine puck and scrubbing, and smashing 15 vitamin C tablets in a sock and letting it sit/scrub, both to no effect). Shut down the pool and sprayed (DE)/washed out the filters, which did have a decent amount of algae/crud on them. Letting the pump run overnight and see where I'm at in the morning.
Big container of powdered vitamin C comes tomorrow but my hopes are not high at the moment.
No luck. Been working on scraping it off the steps with a putty knife to pretty good success, but obviously worried to try to use this on the bottom of the pool due to it being vinyl. I'm not sure what options I have though for something rough enough to get this off but not damage the vinyl at the same time. Up for suggestions on what to do here ..
Keeps poofing brown every time I scrape a spot -- fairly sure it's not black algae at this point.
Noticed the same spots on the inside of my Dolphin that I use to clean the pool floor. Headed to a local pool store tomorrow, and ordered one of the recommended test kits that arrives on Wednesday.
Keeps poofing brown every time I scrape a spot -- fairly sure it's not black algae at this point.
Noticed the same spots on the inside of my Dolphin that I use to clean the pool floor. Headed to a local pool store tomorrow, and ordered one of the recommended test kits that arrives on Wednesday.
- May 3, 2014
- 59,294
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- 6000
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- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Pretty unlikely. My only guess is some soot/ash from the fire pit may have drifted over, but I’d expect it to come up a lot easier if that was the case. Maybe I’m wrong.
Wobblerlorri
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- Apr 16, 2019
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- Vinyl
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It might be brown algae, which is a relative of mustard algae. Basically, you run a SLAM, then pass OCLT, then raise the FC for 24 hrs to the level specified in the mustard algae article in Pool School. And brush brush brush. You may need a kitchen scrub brush (nylon) to get the force to break through its biofilm. Here's the link
www.troublefreepool.com
Here's an article on brown algae
Good luck!
Mustard Algae
Today We are going to show you how you can get rid of mustard algae in your pool. By following the steps in this guide and with no expensive chemicals.
www.troublefreepool.com
Here's an article on brown algae
Good luck!
That's a decent article on Mustard algae but Brown Algae doesn't exist to my knowledge. This article is reasonably accurate for describing Mustard algae but the pic you posted is not mustard algae.
You says those black spots "poof" when you scrape them so you should be able to feel them with your fingers as a bump. I would suggest a stiff nylon brush and elevating the chlorine in your pool to about twice normal and then brushing. Let us know what that does
You says those black spots "poof" when you scrape them so you should be able to feel them with your fingers as a bump. I would suggest a stiff nylon brush and elevating the chlorine in your pool to about twice normal and then brushing. Let us know what that does
Wobblerlorri
Bronze Supporter
- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
- Pool Size
- 4024
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- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
Brown algae, though it looks like black algae, is more closely related to yellow or mustard algae. Some of the larger species are known as kelp, and many are edible. I Googled "brown algae" then "brown algae in pools". Since they're related to mustard algae, dealing with them follows the same path.
en.m.wikipedia.org
Brown algae is also a problem in tropical fish tanks, especially newly set up ones. The answer there is to scrape the glass with a tank scraper (ice scraper, basically) and stock a Plecostomus algae eater or Otocinclus algae eaters. I don't think it would be economically feasible to do that in @BilldaCat 's pool, plus the chlorine would kill them (jk).
Brown algae - Wikipedia
Brown algae is also a problem in tropical fish tanks, especially newly set up ones. The answer there is to scrape the glass with a tank scraper (ice scraper, basically) and stock a Plecostomus algae eater or Otocinclus algae eaters. I don't think it would be economically feasible to do that in @BilldaCat 's pool, plus the chlorine would kill them (jk).
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Yeah, wish I could say what they felt like but they don’t feel like anything. Not a raised bump feeling. Some pics from the filter frame of my dolphin, running my fingers over these, it feels just like the rest of the plastic. 
