I can’t get rid of this algae that keeps coming back on the bottom of my vinyl lined pool. Please help!

[PoolMammy]

I have been fighting this for over a month maybe longer… one day all my numbers are great and the next day I have a slight algae just on the bottom of my pool. If I don’t do something about it that day the next day it looks like the pictures that I have sent you today. I put 1 gallon of 10% bleach in my pool last night at 11 PM and woke up to this. I have the Taylor kit and this is my test as of right now. See picture below. I am at my wits end I don’t have any idea what to do. Please help me. Thank you in advance. I am hardly ever in my swimming pool as I have had Covid so nobody’s been around here for a month.

 

[mknauss]

Have you followed to completion the SLAM Process?

 

[PoolMammy]

Just an FYI …. my sand is new to this season and the pressure on my filter has been holding good. However, the other day whenever I was back washing and rinsing I did see some sand in the Clear view area of my filter and there is also some sand and the filter pump basket. also I realize that I need to add some calcium increaser which I will do shortly.

 

[PoolMammy]

Have you followed to completion the SLAM Process?

Not this go round but I have in the past.

 

[PoolMammy]

Have you followed to completion the SLAM Process?

I will definitely do it starting tonight but I’m just wondering if there’s anything else that I could be missing? Under than the yuck at the bottom of the pool my water stays perfectly clear. Also the algae is never on the sides just on the bottom.

 

[mknauss]

Do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

 

[PoolMammy]

Do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Will do. Thanks

 

[C&HSewell]

Dont forget to scrub those stairs, and everything else, as algae will hide anywhere and everywhere.

 

[duraleigh]

I guestimate your OCLT will show an overnight loss of greater than 1.0 That, coupled with the visible algae you have and a CC result of 1.0, would lead to the conclusion to SLAM the pool.

It must be done by following the SLAM article precisely but it will end you issues and your pool will sparkle

 

[PoolMammy]

Dont forget to scrub those stairs, and everything else, as algae will hide anywhere and everywhere.

Entire pool top to bottom got scrubbed last night. I do however wonder about something with my pool stairs. There are two nickel sized holes at the top of a built-in anchor system, plus smaller holes elsewhere that is filled with pool water when you sink the stairs. How do I make sure that there’s nothing harboring algae inside of those tubes? See pics attached please

 

[PoolMammy]

Thank you all for your interest and your advice. I started my slam last night… it recommended I add enough liquid chlorine to get to a reading of 16 ppm. It was too late and I was too tired to check the reading before I went to bed but I did check it just now at 9:30 AM and it’s at a 13.5 with no combined chlorine. that being said I can’t guarantee that it was at a 16 before I went to bed or if any was lost this morning (there was no direct sunlight on my pool yet) when I took my sample. Yesterday I did have combined chlorine of 1. So far so good then. Lol I will finish my slam process and report back any updates as they occur. You guys are the best!!!

 

[PoolMammy]

Thank you all for your interest and your advice. I started my slam last night… it recommended I add enough liquid chlorine to get to a reading of 16 ppm. It was too late and I was too tired to check the reading before I went to bed but I did check it just now at 9:30 AM and it’s at a 13.5 with no combined chlorine. that being said I can’t guarantee that it was at a 16 before I went to bed or if any was lost this morning (there was no direct sunlight on my pool yet) when I took my sample. Yesterday I did have combined chlorine of 1. So far so good then. Lol I will finish my slam process and report back any updates as they occur. You guys are the best!!!

Can be clear I had combined chlorine yesterday of 1, and this morning a 0.

 

[PoolMammy]

Update: The very small and very few, but they are there, brown patches of algae, have already started to form. let me hit it with some more chlorine real quick

 

[Texas Splash]

With an AGP (vinyl) there is no need to add calcium. Also, I would try to remove the ladder during the SLAM Process. Algae can easily hide in the ladder.

 

[Oly]

Yes pull the ladder, drain and chlorinate the space inside. This is your algae nursery I believe.

 

[JamesW]

Looks like mustard algae, which will require a slightly higher FC/CYA ratio.

Normal SLAM is 40% FC/CYA, but mustard SLAM is 60%.

Follow the normal SLAM and then go to mustard SLAM to finish.

You can go to 50% or 60% if the mustard algae seems slow to respond to the normal SLAM.

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

 

[C&HSewell]

Update: The very small and very few, but they are there, brown patches of algae, have already started to form. let me hit it with some more chlorine real quick

Dont get discouraged. Brush it to get it suspneded in the water and add enough to get it back to SLAM level and keep it there for as long as you can. You may have to add LC/Bleach several times throughout the day. This process will work.

 

[PoolMammy]

With an AGP (vinyl) there is no need to add calcium. Also, I would try to remove the ladder during the SLAM Process. Algae can easily hide in the ladder.

I thought about that but then I thought to myself how do I treat the ladder if it’s outside of the pool? Any advice on what I should do with the ladder prior to putting it back in?

Dont get discouraged. Brush it to get it suspneded in the water and add enough to get it back to SLAM level and keep it there for as long as you can. You may have to add LC/Bleach several times throughout the day. This process will work.

Thank you for the encouragement I am plugging away at it

Can be clear I had combined chlorine yesterday of 1, and this morning a 0.

that was supposed to say To be clear. I do not like auto correct. Lol
Since I have any of your attention…. this may sound like a really simple stupid question but when I am reading some thing on here I can’t never find a back button or a back arrow. I literally have to go back to the menu and start over to forums… is there something I’m missing ? I’m on an iPhone 11

 

[PoolMammy]

Yes pull the ladder, drain and chlorinate the space inside. This is your algae nursery I believe.

I think so too

 

[Texas Splash]

I thought about that but then I thought to myself how do I treat the ladder if it’s outside of the pool? Any advice on what I should do with the ladder prior to putting it back in?

Ladders are tricky and notorious for being a safe haven to algae. Treatment varies by ladder, but usually the first step is to remove it so that you are essentially removing the algae "home" from the pool. Then you examine the ladder. Some can be disassembled which helps greatly, while others not so much. For parts that cannot be disassembled, look to see if there are any gaps or open ports that might allow water in. If so, consider spraying a mixture of water & chlorine into those tight spots to let it work. Just do the best you can. It's much better (and easier) to do out of the pool.