wierd readings....

[chopstick1]

pool is 20ft by 10ft, sloping in the center with 3ft ends/5.5ft center. everything was fine until I ran out of trichlor tabs, chlorine level dropped to 0 and started using the trichlor plus tabs instead. here's the reading....
total hardness- very low
TC 0
FC 0
ph <6.8
alkalinity 180
stabilizer very low
some green algae on the walls despite 1 bottle 50% algaecide

is it possible to be acidic and have a high alkalinity? I checked it with 2 different brands of sticks and it's accurate
any ideas??
thanks

[Watermom]

We really need a current set of water testing results taken with a drops based kit instead of test strips. We also need to know the stabilizer (CYA) level. Then we would better be able to help. We recommend the Taylor K-2006 kit. If bought from the following link, the forum also gets a little money from the purchase. It is the best kit and can test for everything you need to test for.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=10006

Your main problem right now and it is pretty critical, is to get that pH reading above 7.0 ASAP. Any reading lower than that is acidic and can damage your pool. Test kits can't show lower than 6.8 so it is possible that it actually is much lower than that. You can use Borax to raise the pH without raising the alk any further. You can find 20 Mule Team Borax in the laundry aisle at Walmart. Go ahead and add a half a box of Borax slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running, breaking up any clumps. Wait a few hours, retest and then redose as needed until you get the pH to move above 7.0. Since your alk is low, don't take the pH higher than about 7.0-7.2 right now. More info about lowering alk can be found at the following link:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=191

Also, get some plain unscented bleach while you are at Walmart and get some in there or your pool is gonna turn green. Start with one big jug added slowly to the skimmer. Don't splash it on yourself or on the liner. That will get you a chlorine reading. After you give us your CYA level, we can better advise you as to what your chlorine level needs to be.

By the way, I deleted your second duplicate post. New members have to have their posts moderated so they will not show up immediately when you post so you don't need to repost when you don't see it right away. One of us will mod it in as soon as we see it. Welcome to the forum and hope you will find it very helpful.

All I have time for now -- gotta get ready for church.

[aylad]

Watermom's got you on the right track, but I just wanted to add a comment--take a look at the ingredient label on the trichlor "plus" tabs. If you see copper listed as an ingredient, then I would advise you not to use any more of those tabs, even when you get the chemistry straightened out. Copper is an algaecide, but a large enough amount of it can and will stain your pool, blonde hair, fingernails, and anything else it can. Also, once the copper is in there, it adds a whole other dimension to pool care that is a lot more trouble and time consuming. My advice is to avoid it by not adding it in the first place.

Janet

[chopstick1]

I got a dropper test kit and its' diff readings now....
TA 80
cl 3
ph <6.8
I didn't know the acidity would be that damaging....I am going to get the borax now!!
thanks for getting be on the right track

[Watermom]

You're welcome. Keep us posted how things are going with your pool. Get that pH up ASAP! And, keep some chlorine in there. We still need a reliable CYA reading to help you determine what chlorine levels you need to be running in your pool.