Mustard Algae? Dead Algae? Tree Pollen?

[kellyfair]

Don’t focus, just glance. If you stare long enough, that darn dot will appear!

I fill the tube to one line, glance, if dot is visible, fill to the next line, glance, and repeat.

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Also I lean towards pollen because it is everywhere on the bottom and never on the sides. I have so many oak trees and pecan trees in and around my yard. They have been dropping since mid March. Our cars will be totally yellow from the pollen.

You never know. Let’s have you test all your numbers again, since you just did a refill.

 

[Rocco1040]

Don’t focus, just glance. If you stare long enough, that darn dot will appear!

I fill the tube to one line, glance, if dot is visible, fill to the next line, glance, and repeat.

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You never know. Let’s have you test all your numbers again, since you just did a refill.

Then I don't know. I feel it's still to high. Between the drain last week and this week I have drained 80% of my pool. Initial it was around 130. I draind about 50% and then I drained about 40% yesterday.

 

[kellyfair]

The CYA dilution test is a little less accurate, so you might have been a bit higher than 130.

60 is high for a SLAM, but not impossible. Just means maintaining FC at 24 during the SLAM.

 

[Rocco1040]

I'm getting frustrated now. Even if I was over 130 the amount I've drained and refilled should have cut it down much further.

I'm getting a reading of somewhere between 50-60 as of right now. Pump has been running for about 2hrs and the kids are swimming so it should be plenty mixed.

I just don't want to start this process if it is still too high. I also don't want to drain again..........

 

[JamesW]

You're ready to SLAM. I think that it's mustard.

 

[Rocco1040]

Bleach I got says 8.25% sodium hypochlorite. But then under it says that it yeilds 7.86% available chlorine. Do I enter 8.25 or 7.86 into the calculator???

 

[kellyfair]

Pretty sure I read somewhere to list 8.25.

 

[JamesW]

Enter 8.25%.

 

[Rocco1040]

Still wondering if I should drain more water out of my pool. Looking at the shock levels for mustard algae it shows that it may be impractical at a CYA level of 50-60. What are your thoughts?

 

[Mr Bruce]

That's not the "maintain" level of FC. From Pool School - Mustard Algae

To permanently get rid of mustard algae, you first SLAM the pool normally, following the directions in How to SLAM Your Pool. Once you have completed SLAMing your pool in the standard way, raise the FC level up to the extra high mustard algae shock level for 24 hours. Use PoolMath, or see the Yel/MstrdShock column in the chart in this post, to find your mustard algae shock level.

 

[Rocco1040]

That's not the "maintain" level of FC. From Pool School - Mustard Algae

thanks for the clarification.

next question from reading over the same article. It mentions, “Another way to distinguish between the two is that when you go up to shock level and brush the pool, mustard algae won't come back as long as you stay at shock level. Pollen continues to accumulate, even at shock level.”

last night i was at about a 28 for my FC and this morning I was at a 25FC. I brushed the pool at about 8pm last night. Now this morning when I got up the stuff was all over the bottom again.

just was to through that out there and get some thoughts.

 

[JamesW]

I would give the SLAM a few more days to see if it clears up.

 

[Rocco1040]

I would give the SLAM a few more days to see if it clears up.

Thats the plan. Just another update. I brushed the pool at 7am today and my wife said the stuff is already back on the bottom in a few spots.

 

[Susiejax]

Just chiming in -- I live in a rural area surrounded by farmland. When the farmers are plowing and planting and it happens to be dry, the dust is everywhere. It settles on the bottom of the pool, as you describe. I know it's dust and not mustard algae, because the same substance settles all over the inside of my house if I forget to close the windows during active farm work. And I know mustard algae doesn't live in my dining room...

I vacuum up the dirt, and just keep at it. Best wishes, friend

 

[Rocco1040]

Just chiming in -- I live in a rural area surrounded by farmland. When the farmers are plowing and planting and it happens to be dry, the dust is everywhere. It settles on the bottom of the pool, as you describe. I know it's dust and not mustard algae, because the same substance settles all over the inside of my house if I forget to close the windows during active farm work. And I know mustard algae doesn't live in my dining room...

I vacuum up the dirt, and just keep at it. Best wishes, friend

Thanks. I understand that. My driveway right now is yellow from the pecan trees it is crazy. Plus we haven’t had rain so it is dry here as well and it just kinda blows all over the place.

 

[Rocco1040]

UPDATE ON SLAM

Came home at about 4pm today and the bottom was covered in the mystery stuff again. FC was down to 17. I vacuumed through waste all the stuff on the bottom. Lost quite a bit of water cause it went below skimmer. The water is back up and running again and I added the appropriate amount of bleach. I've since scrubbed all the bottom and walls as well. I will retest FC before bed tonight.

 

[kellyfair]

If it shows up again, can you fish out a bit with your fingers and see what it feels like?

 

[Rocco1040]

If it shows up again, can you fish out a bit with your fingers and see what it feels like?

ive tried to get it but it just poofs away.

 

[Rocco1040]

UPDATE ON SLAM

I added more then the need bleach last night before I went to bed and my FC this morning was still over the threshold of 24. I did not add anymore bleach this morning.

The mystery stuff had reappeared on the bottom again. One promising bit though was the sock in the skimmer basket was coated in the mystery stuff. That has never been the case.

So I rebrushed the entire pool, backwashed, and got it filtering again. We will see how it looks this afternoon.

 

[kellyfair]

What did the mystery stuff feel like?