SWCG Pool Opening - green water - brown stains - chemical fixes?

Question - does anyone have any comments about what I've really messed up on in my opening narrative below and any recommendations for buying bulk vitamin C and pool flocculent.

I'm having major trouble opening a rectangular 42x18 by 8' up to 3' fiberglass pool with a deep end bottom center drain and side (about 36' up towards deep end) skimmer. I've got a cartridge filter that I've been cleaning about once every two days - and always after I vaccuum. I'm in NW Arkansas and waited until last week to open. This is my 5th opening and am having the hardest time getting a clear and clean pool.

I've shocked it first with double the amount of recommended powder - then added more shock every couple of days. I used the "blue to green" solution and the flocculent did a great job - cleared the water right up - but all the algae, etc. was on the bottom looking at me. When I vaccuumed it got cloudy again since I had to turn the pump on to use the vaccuum brush though the skimmer.

I'll buy and use some more flocculent this coming week and vaccuum a lot more - but the sides are all stained brown now.

Last year, for the first time, I used vitamin C and it did a great job getting the brown stain out.

Does anyone have any recommendations for the least expensive place to get flocculent and vitamin c - and have I really been missing the boat on what I'm doing to open the pool?

thanks in advance,
Martin

We'll need some current water testing results taken with a drops-based kit to be able to help you. What kind of shock did you use -- meaning ingredients. Your best bet is to kill the algae and not use other products at this point. Do you know the volume of the pool?

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

Martin,

It sounds like your ready to get your pool fixed up, RIGHT NOW. If we were a pool store, our eyeballs would have made the cartoon K'CHING sound! Pool stores LOVE customers like that -- you can sell them something to do something RIGHT NOW, and then a week later, something else RIGHT THEN.

We don't do that -- managing metal is not that easy. It's not that hard, either, AFTER you've got your routine. But getting there takes a methodical and careful process, or you pretty much waste all your work. (Of course, pool stores don't mind: if you waste one batch of chemicals, they are just delighted to sell you another one!)

Watermom's point is, we can't give reasonable advice until we have some info about your pool and water. Among other things, your use of the "blue to green" (ammonium chloride) complicates things, at least till it's gone. It will take time and care on your part, to help us, help you, figure out how to manage your pool.

The good news is -- you will be able to swim during most of that period, at least, once the ammonia is gone.

Also, we need to know what pool equipment (pump / filter / etc) you have. Vitamin C and other products simply redissolve the iron in your water; they don't take it out of the pool. You either have to filter it out, or settle it and then vacuum it out.

Finally, in order to have a solution, we have to figure out how it's getting IN your pool in the first place, and take steps to minimize the entry, and to handle what does get in ASAP.

If you have a Walmart nearby, you can use check this link -- HTH 6-Way Test Kit -- to see if this kit's available to you. It's not a Taylor K2006, but it's made by Taylor, and is the next best thing. Also, if you'd read the test kit info page in my signature, and see about getting a K2006, you'll need one.

And, if you'd log your pool info here:

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

that will help us all take the next step.