Pink Slime

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bjpeters

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Jun 7, 2010
19
Just discovered pink slime along the skimmer and pool ladder. I am in the process of SLAMMING the pool (water is crystal clear to the eye). Have removed the ladder and sprayed with chlorine solution and brushing pool walls, etc. Wondering if I need to do anything to the solar cover to decontaminate it? Also, at what FC level is it NOT a good idea to have the solar cover on the pool? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
bjpeters said:
Just discovered pink slime along the skimmer and pool ladder. I am in the process of SLAMMING the pool (water is crystal clear to the eye). Have removed the ladder and sprayed with chlorine solution and brushing pool walls, etc. Wondering if I need to do anything to the solar cover to decontaminate it? Also, at what FC level is it NOT a good idea to have the solar cover on the pool? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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A pool cover is safe in the pool all the way up to shock levels. I would suggest you remove it though as it will keep you from properly outgassing CC's during a SLAM. You should also inspect the cover for tears or "popped" bubbles as those bubbles can become breeding grounds for bacteria.

What are your latest test results and how are you managing your pool chemistry? Do you keep your cover on all the time? Have you allowed you FC to drop below minimum sanitation levels?


pookiesunshine said:
I did not want to see this. i converted from baquacil cause i hated pink slime. now it's here on chlorine? NOOOOOOOOOOOO...........
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You have very little to worry about with pink slim in a chlorinated swimming pool. "Pink Slime" is actually a bacteria (methylobacterium) which is very easily controlled and killed by chlorine (despite the Balpney Sandwich published by sites that promote Baquacil) when it is free-floating but becomes difficult to remove when it forms adherent colonies (biofilms) because of the "slimy" coating it generates. Most bacterial biofilms are hard to remove or destroy with chlorine alone but few will develop in an open swimming pool due to UV exposure and the use of proper chlorination levels. The only time it would show up in a swimming pool is if the chlorine levels were allowed to drop to zero and the bacteria took hold in shady or covered part of the pool.
 
During SLAM:
pH 7.2 (tested prior to SLAM)
CYA 40
FC 17
CC 0.5
TA 120

I am using 12.5% Pool Shock for my chlorine source. We had about a two week period of cooler weather and rain so pool cover stayed on most of that time - would imagine that's where I got into trouble with the pink slime? My daily FC has tested between 4 to 6. Pool cover is OFF during the SLAM process. Brushed the pool walls today - saw a little pink around the skimmer again and brushed that. Will check my chlorine loss overnight and see where I am at in the am. Can pink slime be a contaminant from rain - just wondering? Could be worse but just frustrating.
 
If the pool was covered and it rained a lot, I can easily imagine the surface water being much lower FC than the bulk of the pool water. Once a colony of bacteria finds a suitable substrate to grow on, it can take off pretty rapidly.

Keep the SLAM up and brush any areas with pink slime vigorously. If you can get to it with a spray bottle of bleach water solution, that can help to destroy it.

Pull that cover and inspect every bubble on it. A water filled bubble is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
 
Covers rarely last more than 2 years before they start to lose bubble, develop tears, etc. That why TFP recommends only getting the thinnest and cheapest covers as they simply don't last very long.
 
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