I’ve had MA in my pool for at least 3 years now nonstop. I’ve just never been able to get rid of it. I’ve been reading the forums on here for a few years as well. I have a sand filter and we changed the sand to zeolite about 3-4 years ago. I literally just found out last night on here that you can deep clean your filter so, I think that may be my next move however, I have been slamming my pool for a few days shy of 1 month now. My liner is taking a beating with all the liquid bleach. I have passed the OCLT test several times and have had 0 CC since day 7. The Mustard Algae has always been on the bottom only, never on the sides or anywhere else. Also, up until I started the slam r the MA would only fall to the bottom when the filter was running. The bottom would remain clear when the motor was not running. I haven’t cut the filter off since the beginning of the slam. I try to vacuum to waste as often as I can. I brush at least once a day. I backwash and rinse often. My pressure gauge isn’t working properly so I can’t really go by that. My pool has remained balanced except for the Calcium hardness, I do have to put more of that in. During the regular slam my CYA started off at 58 and now is around 37. I use Pool Math everyday. I have been MA slamming for about a week now. I’ve tried to keep my chlorine level up to around 24ppm. I’m going to try to attach a photo of what the MA looks like. At times there is only a handful of spots and other times there are too many to count. A lot of them look whitish, which I believe is dead algae and others look like sand. I’m honestly at a loss. I live in Alabama so we do have a ton of pollen and we just cut down two cedar trees by the pool. My hubby mows the grass in our back yard so contaminants from that fly in the pool. Also, there are no shaded areas in my pool and everything is out of the pool. I just bought all new pool equipment so I can use it once this algae is gone. I have spent a ton on liquid chlorine. Oh yeah, my second problem to deal with after this is getting rid of those biting flying ants. I bet 1K of those go into my pool on a daily basis. They make you not even want to get i to the pool because they are constantly biting g you. I was stung twice by a red wasp last year. That kept me out of the pool for a while.
MA Just Won’t Go Away!!!
- Thread starter Ccarroll
- Start date
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- Tags
- ma slam mustard algae
Welcome! If you are using a pool store to test your water, that’s a huge part of the frustration as they are really unreliable. Take a look through the pool school articles on the SLAM process and get one of the two recommended test kits to follow the SLAM process.
Have your read
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
- Jun 1, 2018
- 14,001
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
#1 How are you testing the water? If it’s not with your own tf100/pro or taylor k2006 stop 
& get one on order ASAP
# 2 the Mustard Algae protocol is that you complete the
SLAM Process @ normal slam level
FC/CYA Levels
Passing all 3 end of slam criteria—> then you increase to MA slam level for only 24 hours. No more, no less. What you are doing is definitely going to be hard on your liner, stop
www.google.com
If you truly think you had mustard algae you may wish to maintain mustard algae minimum for some time after slam is completed.
#3 the zeolite….
It’s doubtful you will be able to deep clean it. Its a strange material.
I had recurring debris like this on my pool floor with zeolite too. I replaced it with sand & it went away!
I have red clay & gravel in my yard & I suspect the zeo just spit it back out.
& get one on order ASAP # 2 the Mustard Algae protocol is that you complete the
SLAM Process @ normal slam level
FC/CYA Levels
Passing all 3 end of slam criteria—> then you increase to MA slam level for only 24 hours. No more, no less. What you are doing is definitely going to be hard on your liner, stop
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.google.com
#3 the zeolite….
It’s doubtful you will be able to deep clean it. Its a strange material.
I had recurring debris like this on my pool floor with zeolite too. I replaced it with sand & it went away!
I have red clay & gravel in my yard & I suspect the zeo just spit it back out.
I always test my own water. I have the DPD-FAS test and two of the big time Taylor testing kits.
When I do the CYA test I am just estimating the value in between the numbers. If I feel like it is in between 40-45 then I will estimate what number.
We round up anything that doesn't end in 0. As such, If you only fill the vial to the 10s, the test is considerably easier.
Gotcha. I usually feel until I can’t see the dot anymore and I look at what it is at that point but, I will use your method next time.
I was rereading the mustard algae slam a
D my pool has all the signs of pollen and not mustard algae but, for 3 years?? If it is pollen how can I get rid of it? I do live where pollen is a huge problem. I’m just so confused.
D my pool has all the signs of pollen and not mustard algae but, for 3 years?? If it is pollen how can I get rid of it? I do live where pollen is a huge problem. I’m just so confused.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 14,001
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Wait for the filter to do its thing while brushing and vac-ing more. The Overnight Chlorine Loss Test lets you know if its something besides pollen.
I had to run a couple OCLTs every spring because alot can happen in 2 weeks. Once I passed again, I wouldn't worry about it again for a bit.
I thought I had that info on my signature. It is a Power Flo Matrix XL multi port.
I haven’t been able to do one because my chlorine has been up so high. I’m going let it get back down and test it again. I vacuumed to waste again today, then after backwashing and rinsing I turned my pump off for a little bit and nothing settles to the floor as long as my pump is off. It’s so frustrating.
Then it's probably zeolite. It's a common problem and partly why it's not reccomended
- Jun 1, 2018
- 14,001
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
So, after vacuuming to waste and backwashing and rinsing I turned my pump off for 24 hours and my pool is sparkling and it usually is until I turn my pump back in and then all the Crud starts to accumulate on the floor again. We decided to do a deep clean and my sand is pretty clean. It’s been 3 years I believe since we put the zeolite sand in and I think we are just going to go back to the regular silica pool sand.
Attachments
- Jun 1, 2018
- 14,001
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
My zeo started out white & looked like used kitty litter after a year. It doesn’t lend itself to deep cleaning because it’s got tiny holes in it.
Try the sand - it dramatically improved my situation.
I have a 1.5 hp single speed pump & it just blew the zeo & debris back out. I assume it’s because it’s so light & weighs much less than sand.
The people who seem to have luck with zeo are those who can operate their pump at lower rpms that allows for slower filtering.
In general the best media for a sand filter is sand.
Try the sand - it dramatically improved my situation.
I have a 1.5 hp single speed pump & it just blew the zeo & debris back out. I assume it’s because it’s so light & weighs much less than sand.
The people who seem to have luck with zeo are those who can operate their pump at lower rpms that allows for slower filtering.
In general the best media for a sand filter is sand.
We replaced the zeolite with sand yesterday and backwashed and rinsed a good bit. I turned My pump back on and dang it if the Crud isn’t back on the bottom of my pool again. I swear I feel like giving up and just living with it. my vinyl took a beating with all the liquid chlorine that it will probably need to be replaced within the next 2 years so I will start new then and I have learned my lesson about keeping my pool maintained and balanced. A $6K pool has already cost me about $15K with trying everything under the sun multiple times trying to eliminate the mustard algae for the last 3 years. The entire pool had to be replaced within the first year because the side started caving in right after it was installed and the pool place thought it was the liner being too heavy, which was not the case, after it was replaced. Then they had to put up some new vertical stabilizer things (I don’t know the correct name of them). Then, they just upgraded the entire pool, which as nice, but that should have been my first clue when all that was done within the first couple of months. LOL. To top it off my daughter rarely ever uses it and I’m really the only one that uses it but, not alot. The biting flying ants, wasps, bees and all the other incests that come after me keeps me out of it most of the time. I live in Alabama and out in the country. If I ever move and decide to buy another pool it will be an inground.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 14,001
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
You can try adding a little DE to filter to see if it helps with the finer stuff.
Here’s the how to on that
www.google.com
You may also try fitting a skimmer sock over the return to see what you catch. If it’s alot you may have problem with a lateral or something.
Also, try vacuuming the debris to waste if you aren’t. (Edit- i see you have been)
If it didn’t change from colored to grey/white when at mustard algae slam level it’s probably dust from good ole Alabama red clay/gravel. Skimmer socks can help keep it out of your filter. They also help wrangle the evil flying biting ants! Don’t scoop them out, they will just fly back in. Empty the scooper into the skimmer so they drown. They seem to come in waves & then not be so bad. Borates are supposed to help with bugs too (make them sink & drown) but ymmv on that. We have to be adamant about spraying & fogging our yard or it would be unusable in the summer.
I got a robot with the fine pleated filter & it’s literally the best thing ever. My pool is surrounded by red/orange gravel & we get lots of visitors/traffic down to our shop so it stirs up alot of dust. The robot takes care of it every day at 9am!
Before you call it good - Be certain you have scrubbed all the hiding places- especially any steps/ladder inside & out. I had to go through multiple slams before I finally got my steps modified enough that they didn’t harbor algae.
If you still fear you had mustard algae be sure to maintain mustard algae minimum fc levels for a while which is really just basically the high target
. Most of us like to do that anyway to give a good buffer & ensure we stay away from minimum.
FC/CYA Levels
.... "Min FC" is 7.5% of the CYA level
.... "Target FC" is 11.5% of the CYA level
.... "Yel/Mstrd Min" is 15% of the CYA level
.... "Shock FC" is 40% of the CYA level
.... "Yel/MstrdShock" is 60% of the CYA level.
Keeping your fc anywhere between min & slam level for your cya is perfectly safe for your liner, people, & equipment. Going to MA level for 24 is ok - anything beyond that is not recommended & can do some damage.
Here’s the how to on that
Add DE to a Sand Filter
A clean pool filter will increase the efficiency of your pool! ... your filter are to backwash it, clean the manifolds and grids, and add new DE.
www.google.com
Also, try vacuuming the debris to waste if you aren’t. (Edit- i see you have been)
If it didn’t change from colored to grey/white when at mustard algae slam level it’s probably dust from good ole Alabama red clay/gravel. Skimmer socks can help keep it out of your filter. They also help wrangle the evil flying biting ants! Don’t scoop them out, they will just fly back in. Empty the scooper into the skimmer so they drown. They seem to come in waves & then not be so bad. Borates are supposed to help with bugs too (make them sink & drown) but ymmv on that. We have to be adamant about spraying & fogging our yard or it would be unusable in the summer.
I got a robot with the fine pleated filter & it’s literally the best thing ever. My pool is surrounded by red/orange gravel & we get lots of visitors/traffic down to our shop so it stirs up alot of dust. The robot takes care of it every day at 9am!
Before you call it good - Be certain you have scrubbed all the hiding places- especially any steps/ladder inside & out. I had to go through multiple slams before I finally got my steps modified enough that they didn’t harbor algae.
If you still fear you had mustard algae be sure to maintain mustard algae minimum fc levels for a while which is really just basically the high target
. Most of us like to do that anyway to give a good buffer & ensure we stay away from minimum. FC/CYA Levels
.... "Min FC" is 7.5% of the CYA level
.... "Target FC" is 11.5% of the CYA level
.... "Yel/Mstrd Min" is 15% of the CYA level
.... "Shock FC" is 40% of the CYA level
.... "Yel/MstrdShock" is 60% of the CYA level.
Keeping your fc anywhere between min & slam level for your cya is perfectly safe for your liner, people, & equipment. Going to MA level for 24 is ok - anything beyond that is not recommended & can do some damage.