I don't understand ...

[GolfTop]

Just opened pool. I have constantly had some kind of material in the bottom of my pool basically for two years now.

It gathers in clumps, usually long, stringy clumps. Almost looks white, grayish. Some are small, others larger. When you run your hand over it, it dissipates.

I assumed it was some kind of algae, but I was surprised to see it in such cold water (65 degrees) upon opening.

Cleaned, shocked, vacuumed to waste following day and looks like I'll have to do the same today. I have followed advice on here to get rid of mustard algae by maintaining shock levels, taking into consideration my CYA level and shocking appropriately.

Does this stuff sound like mustard algae? Isn't it odd to have that in such cooler temps, early in season? I'm in Kentucky and it's been warm, but I have a solid cover and the water was clear at opening.

It's been a consistent problem for several years now.

Help!

[mwsmith2]

Well, it's not mustard algae, because that stuff looks like....um..mustardish! :D It's definitely a yellow-green. Maybe it's white water mold? That generally doesn't happen in Cl pools though.

[GolfTop]

I shocked the pool yesterday, scrubbed with brush, and it's back again this morning. Looks just like yesterday, particularly in one spot along crease where pool begins to deepen.

Was at a dreaded pool store yesterday and described problem to an employee there, who said it sounds like white water mold.

Gosh dog. Anybody know how to treat that stuff?

[mwsmith2]

Luckily, pools are like horses, when they get sick you shoot them! Wait! No! I mean, when pools get sick, there's one treatment: Lotsa Chlorine. However, let's start first with posting a full workup of your pool water. Then we can go from there.

Michael

[GolfTop]

Ph 7.6
Cl 10
TA 120
CYA 50

[mbar]

I had water mold the first year I had my pool - when I was using baquacil. Does it smell like fish?? I kept smelling fish - my husband thought I was crazy! The water was beautiful. Then I started to see those clumps - looked like a wet tissue. It was water mold. It is very hard to clear up with baquacil, but lots of chorine will do the trick! Keep your pool at shock levels for about a week, which with a cya of 50 is at least a chlorine reading of 15. Don't let the chlorine drop below that. When the chlorine starts to hold, keep it for a couple of days more to be sure it is all gone - water mold is tough. Keep your filter running, and backwash.

[mwsmith2]

Ya left out Ca, which can also cause white stuff in the pool. Need to do that test too.

Michael

[GolfTop]

I chlorinate with bleach and have vinyl liner pool, so I never check for calcium. Will do so when I get home.

[GolfTop]

Hardness level 550. And check that guestimate on CYA. It's actually zero.

[mwsmith2]

Weeeeeeel. With CYA of 0, you aren't going to hold shock levels in the sun for any length of time. Prolly want to get some stabilizer in there to take you to around 40 ppm cya. Then you can shock at 15 ppm and hold it there for a a while and see how that works out for you.

[GolfTop]

Working well so far. Stuff slowly clearing up but it apparently will take a steady hand for a while. I intend to keep at shock level until several days past time it disappears.

I'm considering shocking more often as a precaution, even without combined chlorine, to make sure that the stuff doesn't return.

In case this doesn't work, I'm prepared to rent a backhoe, fill it and make a nice tennis or basketball court.

[mbar]

Ha, Ha, then what will you do on the sweltering days after you play tennis? Keep the pool and put the tennis court next to it! Anyway, hope you added some cya - so you can hold onto the chlorine. Your calcium is high - you may want to drain and refill some of the water to bring it down (it's the only way to get rid of calcium) If you have no combined chlorine, then you don't need to shock - as long as you don't let your chlorine get low, the water mold should not come back.

[GolfTop]

It's not quite 40-love in the pool battle. More like 30-15. Still some of the unwanted stuff showing up, but it's diminishing. Sounds like the key is to be persistant with the shock level, brushing, backwashing.

Funny about the calcium. I used bleach all last summer. Not sure where the calcium is coming from. Maybe tap water is rich in it.

Thanks for the response.

[GolfTop]

Just a follow up for those who might be wondering if the advice on this problem worked.

For now, it has worked perfectly. Pool has been at shock level for about a week or so and no evidence of the mold is present.

I plan to keep brushing, shocking and backwashing through Sunday at least to ensure it's all killed.

Thanks for the help.