another black algea problem

[kingcoota]

My chlorine has been high for three days now between shock and bleach, lots of it too.
I can see the black spots getting lighter and they are not as slippery when i step on them.
I've been brushing every day and my neighbor was nice enough to donate a bottle of
HTH Super Algea Guard to the fight, which i just put some in today. I cant tell how high the chlorine is but when I test the water it is orange instead of yellow so I guess it's pretty high but here are the numbers ph 7.8 ta 120 cya 40 tc high calcium 310


Well i think i got my problem on the ropes, but my ph is getting a little high like 7.8 or 7.9 should i lower the ph to 7.2 or 7.3 or leave it high until the black algea is gone. Also should I use some black algea killer or just stick with the bleach and free bottle of hth super algea guard.

[aylad]

I've not had to deal with black algae, but I would go ahead and lower the pH to the 7.2-7.4 range and stick with bleach. What is the active ingredient in the algae guard?

Janet

[CarlD]

Unless the ingredient is "Poly....<something really long>..." 60% or 30%, (which we call PolyQuat) then do NOT USE the algaecide. PolyQuat is the only good one and it's better for prevention than cure.

[kingcoota]

Here are the active ingredients of Super algea guard

Active Ingredients
Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, 30%
Alkyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, 30%
The remaining parts are inert ingredients, 40%

[kingcoota]

I've been looking for some poly but it's hard to find here, i'm going to have to the city to get some.

[Watermom]

Nope. Don't use it.

The only algaecide we recommend is Polyquat 60% --- ingredients will say: poly [oxyethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene dichloride]

[aylad]

I agree with the others, absolutely don't use it!! It's quite likely to cause some foaming issues in your pool, and we don't even want to talk about the chlorine demand that ammonia can cause!! (In addition to the fact that it probably won't help with the problem.)

Janet

[CarlD]

The Polyquat MIGHT help, but it might not. At worst, it won't hurt.

You are better off with bleach/liquid chlorine.

[kingcoota]

well after shocking the whole weekend i got most of it out ,but i cant get it all out of the bottom of the pool. I need a new plaster job and it's rooted in good in the bottom. i brushed all weekend. it's all gone on the side of the pool and in the tile grout around the top. I got it lightened up alot but cant get it to disappear on the bottom, I'm getting desperate cant keep dumping in bleach everyday might have to drain, wash, then repaint. any ideas?

my numbers are still good
cya 40
ta 120
ph lowered to 7.3
calcium h 320
chlorine is really high been dumping in 6 big bottels of chlorox ultra a day for three days also had some 1lb hypochlorite packs that i used the first day to get the chlorine up.

[PoleSlinger]

Kingcoota, In the past, I've had terrible black algae problems in pools with less than perfect surfaces. The black algae seems to "root", hide in pits, pockets and crevices. Brushing removes the black algae head but doesn't seem to destroy the "root". After brushing vigorously, try broadcasting trichlor granules over affected areas. It's worked for me.

[CarlD]

What is your FC level? If you are not keeping it at 15ppm round the clock you won't get rid of the algae.

[Poconos]

I frequently get light algae on some of the walls and nooks and crannies when I neglect the pool for any period of time. Brushing those areas is tough. I rig the vacuum hose and brush to one of the return jets so it blows. Makes it easy knock stuff loose. Typical return jets are 1.5" threads so just get a 1.5 inch male PVC pipe adapter and cement a short piece of 1.5" pipe in it. The vacuum hose end that hooks to the skimmer will fit inside the pipe. Also get 1.5 inch threaded pipe plugs for the extra return jets. Take out the eyeball, screw this thing in and go. Once the algae is in suspension the chlorine can do its job easier. Never had to deal with black algae but this may help.
Al

[kingcoota]

my fc level has to be high not sure exactly how high though

when I test my chlorine I only have a leslie cheap o test kit but it turns dark orange so I'm guessing at least 15 ppm. The black algea is gone it's just the roots that I cant get inbedded in the concrete.

I'm getting a barrel of 15% sodium hypo wednesday from a friend at a plant near my house, that they use for treating drinking water. I'll try again next weekend.

Chlorox is getting high around here it's 4.30 for a 196oz of ultra at home depot and lowes and about 20 cents cheaper at walmart. I found some 3% value time bleach at local market for 1.50 for the 1.96 oz.

I think I dumped 18 196oz bottles of chlorox ultra and three one pound packs of hth super shock in my pool from friday to sunday it made a expensive weekend.

[Poconos]

Wow...$4.30? Last I bought at the Malwart around here was $2.54 for 174 Oz, 6%. That's in Northeast PA.
Al

[CarlD]

Be careful! The Chlorox sold at my local Home Depot isn't appropriate for pool use as it has other ingredients besides simply Sodium Hypo and salt-water. I NEVER buy it there for that reason.

[kingcoota]

http://cloroxprofessional.com/products/ucg_bleach.shtml

This is the bleach homedepot sells

walmart only sells regular chlorox thats almost the same price.

[PoolDoc]

Hi Kingcoota;

I read a lot, and there are a lot of phrases and expressions I like. I encountered one today that's not new, but I don't recall having had a chance to use it . . . but you've provided me with one, so I'm excited.

I checked the link you posted (I do the moderation on all the links, attachments, etc, so if you want a post to get modded quickly, don't put a link, etc. in it!) to Clorox Professional. What I noticed immediately is that the distinction between Clorox and Clorox Professional is a distinction without a difference. (that's the phrase I wanted to use - thx!)

Both are 6% chlorine (wt / vol %). In other words, the only difference is the label, and possibly, the price.

With respect to consumer and small business chemicals, it's the same ol' same ol' -- chemical companies have a relatively small number of useful products and most of them aren't new. So, to create market buzz, they dream up new blends, new labels, and new ways to put an exclamation point in text. And then, they use all this to sell the same old products they always have.

PoolDoc

[CarlD]

I thought they had stuck something in the C-Pro that wasn't pool friendly. I'll have to look next time I'm at the Depot. Didn't Chlorox brand just add another ingredient to their bleach that nobody's certain of whether it's OK in pools or not?

[polyvue]

I thought they had stuck something in the C-Pro that wasn't pool friendly. I'll have to look next time I'm at the Depot. Didn't Chlorox brand just add another ingredient to their bleach that nobody's certain of whether it's OK in pools or not?

Just a little lie.

Uh, I mean, lye.

sodium hydroxide

MSDS (http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/msds/commercialsolutions/cloroxcsultracloroxgermicidalbleachdisinfectant4-20-10.pdf)

[PoolDoc]

All bleach has a slight excess of sodium hydroxide. It's made by bubbling chlorine gas into concentrated sodium hydroxide. Bad things happen if the sodium hydroxide get used up while the gas is bubbling.

PoolDoc

[AnnaK]

How perfect is that?!

Chem Geek posted a reference to a CYA slurry which dissolves quicker than granular CYA, Patent 6,207,177. The process involves mixing caustic lye with cyanuric acid.

So now we have CloroxPro with lye in a bottle and we have CYA in a plastic jar and there's that old five gallon bucket over by the shed . . .

. . . okay, better not try this at home, huh?

[polyvue]

. . . okay, better not try this at home, huh?
Before answering, could you tell me if I am a named beneficiary in any insurance policy or trust that covers you? heh heh :D

I never did fully get why folks have to wait up to a week to see all of the CYA show up in test results. The Trichlor powder and CYA flakes (not really granules) I use are all fully testable in an hour or two. In other words, there is no further measurable increase in concentration after a couple of hours following application in warm water. Not what most people say on the forums but true for me nevertheless.



[Edit: Though I have not looked at every single clorox product's MSDS sheet to know this, I presumed that all liquid bleach contained some amount of lye.]