Signs of Algae at bottom of pool every morning

[Aaronbr]

Edit:
Yes you did. I re-read it.

Original question:
Just doing a quick read through. I noticed you bumped up your chlorine level then did a partial drain and fill to lower CYA. Did you bring your chlorine back up?

 

[gnhand]

You’re currently seeing cloudy water again because you’re flirting with an algae bloom. I see from you pool math logs your FC is frequently below minimum and often to zero. Until you maintain FC religiously in the 6-8ppm range (based on your 50 CYA) for FC (that means NO excursions below 6), you will wrestle with cloudy water and algae growth.
Phosphates are only relevant if you provide a place for algae to grow (low/no chlorine) then it is a food source for them. But reducing phosphates will not rid you of algae, only FC can do that.

Thank you - my CYA now a little below 40. So I’m trying to maintain FC above 5ppm

Since my chlorine seems to go down so fast during the day I’m thinking about using the 3” chlorine tabs in by way of an auto chlorinator. I was told they contain only 1% stabilized. During the day I’m not usually home so on those days when the readings went to zero I was out. With liquid chlorine I have been unable to keep the desired FC level during the day.

And I did the OCLT serveral times and always less than 1ppm loss overnight- so no algae.

What to do? As a last resort I was trying to rid the pool of phosphates

 

[gnhand]

Edit:
Yes you did. I re-read it.

Original question:
Just doing a quick read through. I noticed you bumped up your chlorine level then did a partial drain and fill to lower CYA. Did you bring your chlorine back up?

Yes I’m always trying to bring chlorine level up to recommend med amounts per pool math app

 

[JeanZ1]

Thank you - my CYA now a little below 40. So I’m trying to maintain FC above 5ppm

Since my chlorine seems to go down so fast during the day I’m thinking about using the 3” chlorine tabs in by way of an auto chlorinator. I was told they contain only 1% stabilized. During the day I’m not usually home so on those days when the readings went to zero I was out. With liquid chlorine I have been unable to keep the desired FC level during the day.

And I did the OCLT serveral times and always less than 1ppm loss overnight- so no algae.

What to do? As a last resort I was trying to rid the pool of phosphates

Honestly if I were you on the days where I knew I couldn’t get to the pool, I would up FC to 9 or 12ppm, so the 3ppm you lose each day would still leave you above min. Alternatively, I would install a SWG( I did this last year and it’s a game changer) that would keep FC in desired range.

 

[Bperry]

Thank you - my CYA now a little below 40. So I’m trying to maintain FC above 5ppm

Since my chlorine seems to go down so fast during the day I’m thinking about using the 3” chlorine tabs in by way of an auto chlorinator. I was told they contain only 1% stabilized. During the day I’m not usually home so on those days when the readings went to zero I was out. With liquid chlorine I have been unable to keep the desired FC level during the day.

And I did the OCLT serveral times and always less than 1ppm loss overnight- so no algae.

What to do? As a last resort I was trying to rid the pool of phosphates

The 3” tabs have much more than 1% stabilizer. The store that told you that liquid chlorine would cloud the water with phosphates in it is also incorrect. The best advice would be not to add any more metal treatments or phosphate treatments and just get the water back under control. Then worry about stains later.

 

[gnhand]

The 3” tabs have much more than 1% stabilizer. The store that told you that liquid chlorine would cloud the water with phosphates in it is also incorrect. The best advice would be not to add any more metal treatments or phosphate treatments and just get the water back under control. Then worry about stains later.

That is good advice .

I’m going to do one more OCLT test tonight. If less than 1 ppm drop I will stop with trying to get rid of the metals ( but I’ll be worried that the metals in the pool will stain everything over the winter- as I’ll be closing in by the beginning of October).
Then I’ll finish with the phosphates removal treatment that I am in the middle of.

Next year maybe add SWG.

Today I started with FC of 4.4. I added liquid chlorine per pool math. I just checked and FC is down to 2.2 & cc.4.

I’ve added 54 oz of 12 % chlorine. I’ll take a read before bed and in early morning for oclt.

 

[Bperry]

That is good advice .

I’m going to do one more OCLT test tonight. If less than 1 ppm drop I will stop with trying to get rid of the metals ( but I’ll be worried that the metals in the pool will stain everything over the winter- as I’ll be closing in by the beginning of October).
Then I’ll finish with the phosphates removal treatment that I am in the middle of.

Next year maybe add SWG.

Today I started with FC of 4.4. I added liquid chlorine per pool math. I just checked and FC is down to 2.2 & cc.4.

I’ve added 54 oz of 12 % chlorine. I’ll take a read before bed and in early morning for oclt.

Do yourself a favor and ignore the phosphates. Just keep the chlorine up. Draining water for closing will get rid of some metals in the water, then let it fill back up with fresh rainwater.