NEW clear water tinted green

[Amorgan]

Hello all! Im new here! We just got our new 14x42 above ground pool up and filled it last night. My levels are all off and honestly it’s all so confusing. Anyway, the water is clear but has a green tint to it! I plan on going to the pool store but I really don’t have much more money I can put into it this week. I know the pool places will
try to up sell me & I don’t want them to sell me something that will cause an issue in another area. The party we are having is on Sunday and I just want clear blue water. Any suggestions?

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello and welcome ! before you go to the pool store and burn money, let us help with a few things:
- Are you on a well?
- Can you post a pic of the water?
- New water must have:
1- Stabilizer (CYA) for a CYA goal of at least 30
2 - FC (Free Chlorine) aka regular bleach. Day 1 FC goal of about 3 ppm, then maintain about 4-5 after that. Never let it drop below 2 ppm.
3 - PH should always be in the mid-7s. We use muriatic acid to lower it if it's high.

Until you can get a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit, at least get something like an HTH drop test kit from Walmart. Use our PoolMath to help calculate dosages. Read our ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and save those Vital Links below in my signature. Make sure to update your sig as well.

Adding CYA:
To increase CYA via granular stabilizer, place the required amount as calculated by the Poolmath calculator into a white sock and place in the poolside skimmer basket. For those concerned about suction flow to the pump, suspending the sock near a return jet or from a floating device will also suffice. Best never to allow undissolved granules to rest directly against the pool surface. Squeeze the sock periodically to help it dissipate. Once dissolved, consider your CYA adjusted to that programmed (target) level. CYA test readings should show a rise in 24-48 hours, however some pools may experience a longer delay to fully register. Best to confirm final CYA in about 5-7 days before adding any more stabilizer/conditioner.

 

[zea3]

Did you fill from city water or a well? Sometimes fresh water has a little iron content which tints it yellow, up against a blue liner it looks green. You can do a little test on the water by getting a bucket full out of the pool and putting a 1/4 cup of plain unscented bleach in it and swish it around. If the water clears you can go ahead and add chlorine. If it turns brown you have iron and will need to use sequestrant before you add chlorine.

 

[Amorgan]

Thank you all. It is city water. Here is what I know:
the PH is high
stabilizer is 50
the alkalinity? Is really high.

Now or I can’t say I know what any of the means or where to begin! Lol

i will have to see if I have something clear to put the water in and rest with bleach. Just regular household bleach?

 

[zea3]

Yes, regular, unscented household bleach. You can get some muriatic acid to drop the pH. Have you already added stabilizer?

 

[Amorgan]

Here’s a better pic. I think I have run out of bleach. It looks clear while in a cup

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The only 2 things I have added were a chlorine tablet and an arm and hammer clear balance tablet. Those were at night so I don’t know if the water was already green or not

 

[Amorgan]

My test strip is also coming up 0 total chlorine and 0 FC

 

[borjis]

That green might go away within 72 hours.

Mine did with city water. It was green like that and 2 days later, totally blue.

 

[zea3]

City water doesn't contain stabilizer, and one puck would not bring a pool to 50ppm. What test are you using?

You probably won't see any tint in a sample that small. You can scoop a cup full of nasty dark green water out of a pool and it will look relatively clear in the container.

 

[Amorgan]

This is the info pool store gave me

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Right now I’m using the Clorox 6 in one tablets and one arm and hammer clear balance tablet

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I just put 1 out of the 3 doses of pH minus

 

[Amorgan]

It’s still green today

 

[Amorgan]

This is what the Clorox app says I need too �������� I’m so confused and frustrated. The pool store said that the doses of the chemicals have to be spread out. Do I really have to wait to add calcium hardness and a stabilizer. Another question, the pool place instructions are a lot different than the instructions on the actual containers. On my paper it says plaster, but aren’t these quick pools vinyl?

 

[Teald024]

Yes, the quickset pools have a vinyl wall. More calcium is definitely not needed.

Stabilizer will protect the chlorine from the sun. You can add the liquid chlorine right after and don’t have to wait.

You need to decide, Pool Store recommendations or to follow TFP advice. Trying to mix both is a recipe for bad results.

 

[zea3]

You are trying to follow advice from 3 different sources, and as you can see that advice is not always compatible. You need to pick one source and stick with it. I recommend you stick with us. Lets look at the two products in your last post.

The Scale Metal and Stain is a sequestrant. If you have metal content in the water it will help keep it in suspension. If it clears the discoloration in the pool then you would need to use it on a regular basis. We are not sure at this point if you need a sequestrant, based on the information in your posts.

The Oxi Chlorine Free shock oxidizer is not a product you need. You do not have high free chlorine or combined chlorine levels.

Did you add bleach to the sample of water you pulled from the pool? You showed a cup of water in your post but didn't say if you did the bleach test. For the bleach test dip out a bucket of water and add a 1/4 cup of bleach, swish it around with a stick, and let it sit 30 minutes. Report the result.

 

[Amorgan]

Yes I agree, that’s whats messing me up. All the different info. Apparently pool store only tested for 2 metals. I did not pick up bleach yet. I did find a bleach toilet bowl cleaner. It says foaming bleach. It’s clear with a strong smell so I think it’s straight bleach. Can I try that?

 

[zea3]

No, you need plain, unscented bleach, preferably without chloromax fabric protector additives. If the label says it keeps clothes cleaner longer it has fabric protector additives. Once you do the bleach test, if the water doesn't turn brown, you are safe to add more chlorine and that may clear the green tint.

 

[Amorgan]

Ok I will pick up some! I did add more chlorine last night because they said the level was a little low. No change to the color as of yet. I removed this morning because test was showing too much chlorine.

 

[Amorgan]

Added the second dose of ph minus as well this morning. So I cannot add the stabilizer right now correct?

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And no to calcium increaser?

 

[zea3]

You do not have a plaster pool, so you do not need calcium increaser. What test kit are you using and what was the chlorine level? Have you read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry yet? Hold off on adding the stabilizer for now. Exactly what chemicals do you have on hand?

 

[Amorgan]

Chlorine is at 3 now. And also just an update, the filter was reddish-brownish- orange. Sorry I don’t know how to describe. It easily rinsed off. I’m using the Clorox pool strips