Frustrated with Algae

[thorn138]

Pool: 33' Round
Opened: Spring Break
Currently: FC -5
pH: 7.4
TA: 90
CYA: 40

After opening the pool, I did well with BBB. Water cleared well, but lots of debris on the bottom.
Because of the weather, we didn't get a chance to vacuum. Life got busy and I didn't stay on top of it like I should have.

Now: BAD algae bloom. I've been loading the pool with Bleach. 3 gallons a night and leaving Trichor tabs in during the day. Running the pump 24/7

Water is green and can't see past 10 inches.

About a week ago, I bought an Aquabot Rover and let it clean. (at the time, the water was still fairly clear).
After the Rover did it's job, the water turned green and I'm struggling to get it cleared up.

We scrubbed the walls today and I put the pump to "bypass to pool."

Should I run the Rover again? BTW, I had to clean the Rover out three times during it's cleaning cycle. The bag was LOADED with algae.

Should I get my chlorine level up to 10-15?
Should I leave my pump on bypass until I get the algae cleared up?

As for pH... My pH has been high... above 8, so I add muriatic acid to reduce it. I read where high pH reduces the effectivenss of chlorine.

Any help you can give me is GREATLY appreciated. I'm very frustrated.

FYI... I bought the Rover because we tried to vaccuum with the pump, but had to stop to clean out the basket (often). Maybe I should just add a ton of water and bypass to waste...??

Thank you...

[Watermom]

Keep the chlorine at 15 as consistently as you can. What kind of filter do you have and what size is the pump? If you tested the pH when the chlorine was high, you may have gotten a falsely high reading. Retest pH when the chlorine is below 5ppm unless you have a Taylor K-2006. In that case, you can trust the pH test with chlorine readings up to 15ppm. By the way, what kind of test kit do you have?

Is there actual debris for the Rover to clean out? If so, it won't hurt to put the Rover in. Run the pump 24/7.

[thorn138]

Thank you for the response. The pump is a 2hp Waterway Pump with a 400lb sand filter.
I have a Taylor test kit. The pH has been high since I opened. The "warmer than normal winter" really hurt me. Spring so far this year in Oklahoma has been unseasonably warm, so the algae is rampant..

There is debris for the Rover to pick up, so I'll keep it running..

[thorn138]

Okay.. Water has finally turned a beautiful blue! But, it's very cloudy... so, my questions:

Keep up the high level of bleach? 15ppm?
Am I going to need a clarifier or should I bring my FC level back down to 5ppm and re-check pH?

Thanks,
Gary

[aylad]

Keep the level of chlorine at 15 ppm until you can test at night after the sun is off the pool and again in the morning before the sun hits it, and lose less than 1 ppm. Then keep it high for another day just to be on the safe side (assuming you can no longer brush up anything green) and then you can let it start to drift back down. I wouldn't use a clarifier just yet--the chlorine killed the algae, but your filter has to have a chance to filter it out of the water. We generally recommend brushing daily, and watching the pressure on your pump and backwashing when you get to 8-10 psi over "clean pressure". AFter a few days you should begin to see it clearing. If not, then you can try shutting the pump off and letting it all settle to the bottom to be vac'd out.