Mustard Algae Question

Jump to latest Follow Reply
C

Chaya

Bronze Supporter
Jul 28, 2019
72
Lakewood, New Jersey
hi, i'm new to this forum.
I have mustard algae for years - mostly under control thanks to the clear advice on TFP - yet something i still battle on and off each season. I am currently replacing my liner and some broken pipes.
I have 2 questions and wonder if someone can advise:

1) will draining pool, replacing liner and refilling get rid of the algae once and for all or will the mustard algae likely survive in my filter and existing pipes which are not being replaced?

2) i chose a dark colored liner after having a light colored one for years. now i am concerned that i won't be able to easily recognize when i have an algae outbreak until it is out of control... How easy is it to spot water issues with a darker colored liner?

any advice would be appreciated.
 
how can it be pollen? i see yellow streaking, brush up cloud of yellow and the whole pool looks green... its wrong time of year and treating with the mustard slam works well. after keeping high chlorine levels i see dead algae - spots of grey - which can be vacuumed up from the pool floor.

the thing i want to know is - do i have to keep my minimum FC levels to mustard algae levels once i replace liner and water, or can i use the regular minimum levels?
 
I'm (was and now, again) really just bumping this so that it might get someone's attention.

Since we may not know much about your SLAM, maybe you can tell us more about how you did that and also post a full set of test results, and when you last took them. Also, how do you chlorinate?

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

If you share your pool math app data with TFP that may be helpful too.

It's said that with mustard algae that everything pool has to be in the mustard algae FC water. I'd assume the pipes are included in that but that would also mean they are already submerged. I think I'd consider changing the sand though. It's not expensive to do so. IDK really. I'm just guessing here. Someone else knows.
 
i did not write down any test results but from what i remember, when i got the mustard algae i tested the CYA and thought it was 60 or even above. i therefore wanted to get my FC to 46 (which i see now is really for CYA of 80. i don't remember, did i really think it was 80 or did i try to err on the side of caution). I put in 11 bags of 68% calcium hypchlorite and thought i'd stay in the 40s ppm for 24 hrs. yet as we tested throughout the day we saw that it did slip into the low 30ppms. I thought it was still fine because my CYA was really more like 60ppm so i considered the Mustard Algae SLAM effective. We vacuumed and brushed multiple times, took out the ladder and cleaned with bleach and got crystal clear water. I also threw in my pool equipment.

Now having gone through this multiple times in multiple years it does seem to me like once you get this algae you are never really done with it, even after performing this mustard algae SLAM. i feel like its something that never goes away. The fact that there is a higher minimum recommended FC for mustard algae also seems to indicate this as well.

So now i am wondering if i am replacing liner, water and some pipes can i start chlorinating to regular levels or must i maintain yel/mstrd minimum for ever?
 
I see i did not answer all questions. i explained my mustard algae SLAM only so let me answer the other questions.

After successful slam and keeping my chlorine at about 9ppm, my pool turned cloudy last night. I SLAMed overnight and passed the OCLT.

My current test results after last weeks mustard algae SLAM and last nights overnight SLAM to address the cloudiness is:
TYA 100
FC 19
CC 0 or .2
PH 7
CYA 40-50

To address FAST7's questions, its only 1 wk since the mustard algae slam or less and i was maintaining very high FC levels as explained (about 9 FC) and STILL developed some cloudiness which had to be SLAMed and now this morning i have some dead algae on the floor of pool.

This is exhausting me and i can't understand it. How do i keep developing algae when I'm maintaining such high FC levels?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
The idea of keeping FC WELL ABOVE target (high end) for your CYA level for a few weeks after SLAM might be what you need to do to concur this. IDK what level to keep it at, but as high as you can is a good place to start. Mustard Algae is particularly heinous. If you're concerned about your piping that won't be replaced, I'd suggest trying this. When's the new liner coming?
 
Chaya said:
I SLAMed overnight and passed the OCLT.
...
last nights overnight SLAM to address the cloudiness is:
...
Click to expand...
I'm not sure you are following the SLAM procedure correctly. Here is the article again for your convenience.
www.troublefreepool.com

SLAM - Shock Level and Maintain

We’ve all had to deal with a green pool. Clear algae from your pool with a SLAM! Read here to use shock level and maintain to clear your pool.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Also, during the SLAM process it is best to use liquid chlorine.
 
I see what you are saying. 7.5 FC is the yellow/mustard minimum but there is no target listed for yellow/mustard algae . so what i thought was the correct level was just the bare minimum. So what is your suggestion for the next for weeks? do you think 12ppm would do it?

is the thought that if you keep it above that level for a few WEEKS you can get rid of it for good? because there are years I battle it a few times in a single season! I'd do a lot to get rid of it once and for all!!!

the liner is coming next week. would you wait a few weeks before replacing it?
 
Mr Bruce said:
I'm not sure you are following the SLAM procedure correctly. Here is the article again for your convenience.
www.troublefreepool.com

SLAM - Shock Level and Maintain

We’ve all had to deal with a green pool. Clear algae from your pool with a SLAM! Read here to use shock level and maintain to clear your pool.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Also, during the SLAM process it is best to use liquid chlorine.
Click to expand...

I read the article again in full. can you mention what i missed other than not using liq chlorine? It seems to me that liquid chlorine is heavier and harder to deal with and more expensive than the bags of shock. That's why i used the granular.

The article was for regular SLAM. just to be clear, last wk i performed a regular and then a mustard algae SLAM. last night i did a regular SLAM after water turned cloudy again.
 
Because you said "overnight SLAM". That phrase doesn't make sense to me. In brief the SLAM process is to:

Raise the FC level to the SLAM value. Maintain that level through the day by testing and adjusting as needed. Once the water is crystal clear and algae free (including the dead kind) and the CC are less than 1.0, then do an OCLT. I don't see how that could be done "overnight".

Liquid chlorine is best because it doesn't introduce any other variables when raising the FC (such as CH, pH changes, etc).

Also, you don't have mustard algae, you have the regular kind. Mustard algae doesn't "brush up in clouds".
 
If you use Pool Math app, you can share your results with us and also record your tests. It does require a subscription, but it's like $8 or something super negligible.

I agree with what Mr. Bruce said. SLAM isn't a one time thing or application. If your water is cloudy, you've not completed SLAM.
 
Mr Bruce said:
Because you said "overnight SLAM". That phrase doesn't make sense to me. In brief the SLAM process is to:

Raise the FC level to the SLAM value. Maintain that level through the day by testing and adjusting as needed. Once the water is crystal clear and algae free (including the dead kind) and the CC are less than 1.0, then do an OCLT. I don't see how that could be done "overnight".

Liquid chlorine is best because it doesn't introduce any other variables when raising the FC (such as CH, pH changes, etc).

Also, you don't have mustard algae, you have the regular kind. Mustard algae doesn't "brush up in clouds".
Click to expand...

Ok, i will try to be more accurate. I think that the SLAM was completed overnight and the OCLT showed that it was complete after a few hours. When I came home from work evening time the water was cloudy. After nightfall i added 3 bags of granular shock and tested the water an hour later to make sure my FC was at 20. I left the filter running overnight. When i woke up the water was clear to the bottom, i lost about 1ppm of chlorine, had no CC and there was dead algae on the bottom of the pool.

So is that done correctly? I think what i missed is that I did not have time to vacuum the dead algae before going to work and will have to do it when I return home this evening.

Regarding the type of algae i would be thrilled if it was not mustard algae. i thought if it brushes up yellow clouds it is mustard. Regardless of the type I am a complete loss for why I keep getting cloudy, yellow water when i am maintaining such a high FC levels.

I really appreciate all the feedback.
 
Chaya said:
OCLT showed that it was complete after a few hours.
Click to expand...
I don't follow.
When I came home from work evening time the water was cloudy. After nightfall i added 3 bags of granular shock
Click to expand...
Why did you wait for nightfall? You should have tested and adjusted immediately after coming home.

When i woke up the water was clear to the bottom, i lost about 1ppm of chlorine, had no CC and there was dead algae on the bottom of the pool.
Click to expand...
So 2 of the 3 criteria not complete.

I am willing to bet your water isn't "TFP clear" when you say "clear to the bottom". A picture is worth 1000 words :)
 
Mr Bruce said:
I don't follow.

I said OCLT was complete after a few hours because i adjusted at about 11pm and by 6am i thought i was done.
I see i have a lot to learn :(

Why did you wait for nightfall? You should have tested and adjusted immediately after coming home.
My pool was calling, but so was supper, kids.... i thought i could ignore for just a WEE BIT.

So 2 of the 3 criteria not complete.
Which 3? I have no combined chlorine, water was clear, and i did not lose more than 1ppm of chlorine.

I am willing to bet your water isn't "TFP clear" when you say "clear to the bottom". A picture is worth 1000 words :)
Click to expand...
Please teach me! I'm all ears. Thank you for your continued advice and support.
I hope one day I'll get it...
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply