Thanks everyone for the input. I am so HAPPY with our pool this year, thanks to everyone on here!! I don't remember the last time I could say that, honestly!! I hestitate to brag anymore, lest something bad happen, LOL! I will have to recheck the Alka. I didn't really stop as far as color changes? Will redo that later today! I want to recheck the CYA too, second guessing myself. I, just for the fun of it took a water sample in yesterday to one of my pool places ( who should have a special steel plate on their door with our name on it, for all of our donations, !), anyhow the CYA showed for her that it was between 20-25. I would trust my testing first, because she just used a strip, but I want to make sure, maybe it does need more stablizer! I just want to make sure as it is not easy to undo that mix! I had been letting some of my levels go down with the cholrine prior to sand change, than bringing back up to a 3. Today it is 6.5., the highest it has been for awhile. I am wondering if I should do a good shock for safety with all the dabbling before? There were even times it read .5-1, being the lowest readings. I will have to get on here and read what to do when I go on vacation in a week also. I will be leaving for about a week on the 1st of August.