Algae Bomb?

I was wondering if anyone knew of an algaecide ball that you place in your skimmer and let run till it disolves? From what I understand it is a zinc based algaecide and is very hard to find. Its been a few years since I've owned a pool and my old poolman has gone out of business, so I can't ask him. If I remember correctly it came in a little 3 x 3 (approx.) silver box with a plastic container inside that held the ball. Every year starting in May, I would get yellow algae. My poolman would buy one of those balls online and throw it in the skimmer and no more algae for the rest of the season. I just purchased another home with a badly neglected pool and there's yellow algae forming in the southern part of the pool. I purchased some liquid from Leslie's, but to no avail, the algae is still there. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

I've never seen the algaecide balls you're referring to, but if you 'll shock the pool high enough for long enough, it will kill the algae. Algaecides are generally better at preventing algae than they are at killing an existing bloom, and the only algaecide we recommend around here is Polyquat--but that's normally used for situations where the chlorine has to be kept low for extended periods, or for winter closing. I would hesitate to put any metal of any kind in my pool because of the headache that metal-containing water can be.

Welcome to the forum!!

Janet

It's available as PoolRX (includes some copper and a little silver, I think). We don't recommend metal based gizmos, but you are welcome to try.

However, simply running proper chlorine levels, for the stabilizer level in your pool, will solve your algae problems. See the "Best Guess" page link in my signature.

If you want it easier, you can add 10 boxes of 20 Mule Team borax + ~2 gallons of muriatic acid per 10,000 gallons of pool water. If you do this add no more than 2 boxes at a time SLOWLY through the skimmer with the pump running. Wait at least 1 hour. Add no more than 1/2 gallon of muriatic acid DIRECTLY TO THE POOL (wear glasses, gloves, watch the fumes, and pour CLOSE to the water), also with the pump on.

Ben

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

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If you want it easier, you can add 10 boxes of 20 Mule Team borax + ~2 gallons of muriatic acid per 10,000 gallons of pool water. If you do this add no more than 2 boxes at a time SLOWLY through the skimmer with the pump running. Wait at least 1 hour. Add no more than 1/2 gallon of muriatic acid DIRECTLY TO THE POOL (wear glasses, gloves, watch the fumes, and pour CLOSE to the water), also with the pump on.

Ben

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To reach 50 ppm borates for it's algaestatic proprieties you need about a gallon of acid for every 3 (76 oz) box of borax to get in the ballpark. Dosing rate is 60 oz by weight and 30 oz of acid for every 1000 gallons of water. For 10K gallons that translates into about 8 boxes and 2 gallons + 3 pints of acid.