I live in the DFW area. We have an in ground pool that we just had finished in Oct. Everything has been fine up until the May time frame. I've started seeing these weird spots on the bottom of the pool We have no tree's as our house is a new build. There are no real shaded areas of the pool either. I've tried shocking the pool, I've tried PhosFree and I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. It seemed like it was going good then we had people over to swim and the next day the spots started popping up again. In fact there seem to be more. It's driving me crazy to the point I almost wish we hadn't even put the pool in. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I don't know if I need backwash the pool, quit using chlorine tablets or what. I will say I put four one pound bags of shock in last night and have the pump running non stop and it's noticeably better but I feel like if I don't keep doing this it will just come back immediately.
Frustrated with Algae
- Thread starter cpritchard74
- Start date
If those blotches don't feel slimy, they're probably not algae. It might be metal stains either from something you've added or from rebar too close to the surface.
You're using an inline chlorinator. That can be problematic. Trichlor pucks raise the CYA which renders a lot of chlorine useless which increases the demand for it or algae can get started. They're also very acidic. Check out the pictures in the first post here. If that's metal staining in your pool, I hope it isn't coming from your heater.
And now, the big question we always ask:
You're using an inline chlorinator. That can be problematic. Trichlor pucks raise the CYA which renders a lot of chlorine useless which increases the demand for it or algae can get started. They're also very acidic. Check out the pictures in the first post here. If that's metal staining in your pool, I hope it isn't coming from your heater.
And now, the big question we always ask:
- May 3, 2014
- 59,128
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Can you give us test results? What do you test your water with?
This looks like Algae. I see in your signature 'Ozone' and a chlorine 'feeder'. That usually means you use solid chlorine and that you were told you did not need to have much chlorine in the pool with the Ozone. Both are not good.
Read up in Pool School. Get your own test kit from TFTestkits.net if you do not have one.
Take care.
This looks like Algae. I see in your signature 'Ozone' and a chlorine 'feeder'. That usually means you use solid chlorine and that you were told you did not need to have much chlorine in the pool with the Ozone. Both are not good.
Read up in Pool School. Get your own test kit from TFTestkits.net if you do not have one.
Take care.
I have my test results from Leslies. I didn't get my own kit yet. FAC - 2, TAC - 2, CH - 220, CYA - 60, TA - 90, pH - 7.6, Copper - 0, Iron - 0, TDS- 1100, Pho - 100. I don't see the spots anymore. I shocked the pool like crazy so it seems like that fixed everything.
No offense, but you have only applied a band aid. Until you start testing your own water and stop with the useless additives you are not going to get the results you want long term.
I am a noob here on the forum and a noob when it comes to testing water and actually taking full charge of it, but I can't stress enough how important it is to really get a grasp of what pool chemistry is all about. We have owned our pool for 13 years and this is the first year I did not dread it... now this year has not been exactly trouble free but that was more about my past abuses to my water chemistry and that direct relation to my equipment.
However, I learned to test my water this year and my results are same as my pool stores, the difference is, I now know what to add and when and what the clues mean.
Do get a test kit
Do read the pool school
Do learn what the test results mean and how to adjust things accordingly
I can assure you, IF you do these things, you will NEVER regret your pool another day.
View attachment 64006View attachment 64007
the file name on the dark green is April 2 but we did not "open" pool until May 30th and First Chlorine went in June 4. (For me, I had a filtration issue that I had to address, so vast majority of improvement has been over the last 5 days). Now I am not done yet, as you can see stains and my water is still cloudy... but your small stains vs my entire swamp... YOU can do this, and when you do.. you will LOVE your pool.
not 1 oz of Algaecide
not 1 oz of bag "shock"
not 1 oz of Floc
all SLAM process and it is working, believe me, you will learn from reading the Pool School.
Best of luck to you,
However, I learned to test my water this year and my results are same as my pool stores, the difference is, I now know what to add and when and what the clues mean.
Do get a test kit
Do read the pool school
Do learn what the test results mean and how to adjust things accordingly
I can assure you, IF you do these things, you will NEVER regret your pool another day.
View attachment 64006View attachment 64007
the file name on the dark green is April 2 but we did not "open" pool until May 30th and First Chlorine went in June 4. (For me, I had a filtration issue that I had to address, so vast majority of improvement has been over the last 5 days). Now I am not done yet, as you can see stains and my water is still cloudy... but your small stains vs my entire swamp... YOU can do this, and when you do.. you will LOVE your pool.
not 1 oz of Algaecide
not 1 oz of bag "shock"
not 1 oz of Floc
all SLAM process and it is working, believe me, you will learn from reading the Pool School.
Best of luck to you,
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Read through the pool school linked above.
You can get liquid chlorine at Walmart in the pool supplies for about $3.60/gal. Get a bunch when you start to get rid of the algae