Slammed for mustard algae what now?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
mepcards

mepcards

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2015
351
mesquite,tx
As of Sunday morning, I passed the OCLT, so I started on the 24hr mustard algae slam. I was checking almost every other hour on my levels, and a few times it got below 30 (my cya is 50) so I would add enough to just go above 30, just in case it was getting eaten up quickly. This morning was the end of my mustard slam, but here is my question. Last night before bed, my FC was 36, and this morning it was 31..Thats a pretty big loss....And pics show what im seeing this morning...Should I continue the 24hr level? Really getting frustrated...And to note, its even on the side of the good circulation, and on the poor side....well I need to resize pics..will post soon

- - - Updated - - -

View attachment 62210View attachment 62211View attachment 62212
 
Mustard algae forms on walls and floors of a pool as an even, yellowish/brownish tint. The pic you post is of plain old algae which you can't see until it dies an then piles up in clumps on the bottom.

I would forget mustard algae and finish your SLAM. Passing the OCLT and CC's of .5 ppm are great but you have visible signs of algae so your SLAM is not complete.

Bring your SLAM value back up to normal SLAM levels and keep it there until those clumps you share with your good pics are gone.

It's easiest to brush them up into the chlorinated water and let the filter take care of them.
 
Sorry to sound like a broken record, but if I passed the OCLT, but algae is still dying, why or how did I pas the test on regular slam? I can say ive never had any issue with the algae on my walls of vinyl pool, so that is a good sign. The spots I posted are the same exact spots they always show up at...Ive brushed and brushed those same spots to the point im afraid ill rub a hole through the liner..lol....I have no lights in the pool, have not put stairs back in yet, ive taken the fountain off and dis-assembled and scrubbed with bleach..Ive cleaned the skimmer and basket, ive backwashed, I have pole in water while slamming with the brush attached....Thats why I assumed I have mustard, but still showing up with levels over 30.....
 
yes. when I make a long stroke with the brush, you can see a dirty cloud get swept away along the bottom...sometimes just in minutes, you cane see it already forming back in the same spots...and again, its on bottom where good circulation, and in the poorest circulation areas...some of the spots are where the liner is wrinkled, but the other spots are on perfectly smooth areas.....same spots in where I had this issue last year...I thought I had in under control at the end of season when I took stairs out and cleaned, but started back up again, so that why I took stairs out for the winter...I just thought at this high FC level it would have gotten a little more in control.
 
Agree that you haven't passed the regular SLAM criteria... viable algae. The mustard algae levels don't come into play until all visible algae is gone.

I want to confirm that your CYA is 50. I assume that you did this test in full sun light (no clouds), back to the sun, vial at waist level? Did you do this test recently? It wouldn't hurt to double check your CYA.
 
Wanted to update as of this morning..Yesterday morning my FC was at 31, for I was slamming for Mustard, but was told to let it go down to normal slam level, then continue until I pass the OCLT. Well during this process, I double checked my CYA twice yesterday, and both times it read 50, but even though it was a warm sunny day, it didn't take long for my FC level to fall to 21 during the course of the day, so I know I still have something eating the Chlorine, for I don't lose that much on a 100 degree day in dead of summer, but here is the kicker. I added bleach about 8pm last night, and at 10pm I checked the Fc level, and I was at 26, but when I checked this morning, it was reading 27.5, so maybe I added a little too late, and I checked too early before I went to bed. With that being said, It looks like I didn't lose anything overnight, and of course I had a "0" CC..It was still dark at 4am, but I used a flashlight to see bottom, and still seeing same spots ive brushed like crazy with dead algae..Ill continue until I see nomore, but crazy that im passing the OCLT....
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Dead algae will form on some of the wrinkles on floor liner, but I scrub them very good, but to no avail, but as ive stated before, it also forms on smooth parts of floor bottom..Ive soaked my vacuum head in bleach/water solution after every vacuum, ive left brush submerged during slam as well...only thing I have in pool that is attached is the fountain, and ive already cleaned the heck out of that thing, so curious to where its hiding. Ive also let the vacuum hose float in the slammed water just in case....does algae have a membrane of some sort.....because the exact areas they form at, are the same places I scrub like crazy...I could understand if I was just going thru the motions, and thinking it will just go away, but im actually living outside dealing this issue..lol....and ive delayed putting in wedding cake stairs for the season, for I know that is a breeding ground for algae..
 
mepcards.

I don't think you understand your issue. scrubbing the floor has nothing to do with the dead algae that falls there. That algae was alive in your pool water and settled to the floor. Scrubbing the floor makes no sense.

Your frustration is premature. Why are you not continuing the SLAM? A completely clear pool will likely not happen in a few days......it may take a week or more.

Start over. Reread the SLAM article up in Pool School and start a SLAM. This time, stay with it until your pool is Crystal clear.
 
First off, I havnt ended my slam, and im still at it. My concerns was that im losing my FC rapidly during the day with a CYA of 50, so yes, I still have something living in my pool, but at night, my numbers say I pass....Trust me im listening and reading and I havnt quit, but just baffled if its just settling at bottom of floor, why in the same exact spots????? That's whats driving me crazy and not understanding....I have two spots that are on the same side of return jet, so is getting the best of the circulation, and the spots I keep referring to are not settling on the wrinkled sect of the liner, but smooth sections....Now with what you said above, I was under the assumption the algae was growing on the pool floor in those exact spots, so I just learned something new, so forgive me for my ignorance on that part..And I do know from last year that it wont go away in a few days, and it can take some time, but was only posting my readings from bedtime to waking up, and the FC WAS SAME, so again, im thinking ive passed the OCLT...don't worry, im still slamming
 
OK. I hear you. Do you have a pic of that "Algae" on your floor? I am 98% sure I know what you are talking about but a pic would help.

Brush or vacuum that dead algae. It falls there because, for whatever reason, that's where the current takes it or that's where the low spots are in your pool. Just simply brush it back up into the chlorinated water and let the filter get it.

Since, at your point, you should be checking and adding FC twice daily (roughly), why don't you just add it early morning and late evening. That gives you an OCLT test automaitically. Disregard all other tests.....just FC and CC. Post them up.
 
If you refer to the pictures above, its identical to that...I brush it away constantly, and I have been vacuuming like 4 times a week..lol...When I get home, all those same spots will look exactly like those in the beginning of my post..I don't have a robot cleaner, so its manually setting it up everytime...I did a good backwash on Saturday, and had a lot of dirty water come out, and with the rinse cycle. My PSI dropped from avg (20) down to like 18 PSI..Just a thought, would it hurt if I poured my next application of bleach directly into skimmer? I know not to do it on regular basis, but maybe get thru the filter at a higher concentration, just in case sand filter is holding some live algae still? When I get home ill see how much my FC dropped from a morning reading of 27.5.. I know last year in the hottest part of summer, and with a cya of 50, I would lose like 3-4ppm a day..Today is sunny, and highs close to 90..
 
It won't help to put bleach in the skimmer. You must elevate your chlorine level and keep it elevated to kill all the algae. You do that by SLAMing. Don't change a thing from the article....follow the article to a T
 
Still in slam mode...I was around FC25 yesterday morning, but when I got home, ive dropped to around 18.5...Water is still clear, but will get hazy after brushing the same spots of the dead algae...Should I also try some DE?
 
I don't think DE is appropriate for your problem. DE is helpful when the the water is cloudy and the algae is dead and you are waiting for the sand filter to remove the dead algae. Keep brushing and look all around the skimmers and anywhere algae maybe hiding. Stay the course.
 

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