HELP with Green/Brown Water

[poolrookie]

vacuumed and backwashed this morning, still green! 2 bags of aqua shock, chlorine is probably through the roof...will be taking it computer checked in a couple hours, will post new numbers to see what i need to do, i have to be missing something.. should have a green pool with all the shock and trichlor that is in this thing..but what do i know???

[Watermom]

You need a good test kit so you can test for yourself and not relying on a pool store. The one we recommend is the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C (same kit, larger bottle of some reagents). If you buy it through the Amazon link in my signature, the Pool Forum makes a little money on the sale which helps us keep this form online. Only buy if the seller is Amato Industries, however. Some other sellers are substituting the K-2005 which you do NOT want. If Amato isn't listed, wait a day or two and try again. They seem to restock pretty quickly when they sell out.

But, in the meantime, go to Walmart and pick up an OTO/Phenol Red kit (yellow and red drops) and use it until you can order a good kit. Hopefully you can find one that reads chlorine levels up to 5ppm but some only go the 3. Either way won't be high enough but you can force it to go higher by using a dilution method described here: Testing Without a Good Kit

While at Walmart get a jug of distilled water and more bleach.

Post with some current numbers and somebody here can help you go from there.

Regarding the Culator --- the jury's still out on that. A few members are trying it but no definite conclusions yet.

[poolrookie]

I will have to get a better kit, i just have cl and ph one right now... had results from computer test:
Free Chlorine 4.8 (this is after trichlor tabs in skimmer all night, and shocking with 2 bags of aquachem shock this morning)
TC 4.8
ph 7.3 At least i got this right and it stays their..
hardness 390
Alk 27 it was 10 last week and i added 12 lbs of arm/hammer, probably need 12 more lbs
CyA 10 Hasn't moved from last week, with all the trichlor i'm surprised....
COPPER .42 WENT UP FROM .25 LAST WEEK, MAYBE FROM THE 3% IN THE ALGAECIDE???
Iron .43 Still high (will this still show even if it is sequestored??) just wondering??? i have more metal out but don't know if i should put it in????

i have 3 gallons of bleach and don't know if i should use it or metal out first or both??? HELP!!!!! Ugly green water is horrible......

[PoolDoc]

Hi Poolrookie;

You've got more questions than we've got good answers. Once you've treated a pool with all that goop from your pool store, it becomes very hard to predict what will happen next.

What's worse, you are in the worst of all possible pool worlds: you have both algae (which needs chlorine) and metals (which will stain if you add as much chlorine as you need) AND you've got poolstore goop in your pool, which essentially means that all the rules about what will happen next evaporate, because we can't predict how the goop will affect things.

Anything I, or anyone else here, tells you to do will be a guess at best. It might be a good guess, but that's all. For example, your last question, about 'bleach or metal out', I can't answer. And if you do both, well bleach tends to break metal out (if it's HEDP) down.

So here's what I think:
+ It's good you've got the sand filter; that will help.
+ You're getting a good test kit; that will be essential.
+ You have 'free' water, so dumping and draining won't cost anything.
+ If you'd started the pool the right way, you'd probably be all clear now.
+ But if you keep working with what you got, you may not get it clear before school starts back!

So, (you can probably see where I'm going with this!) do this;

+ Use the pool as best you can, now.
+ Add some more algaecide, till the pool looks like a suds bath -- it will eventually kill the algae and it won't make the iron worse.
+ Use the trichlor, but not the bleach
AND
+ Order your kit
+ Send me the EXACT name and brand of the "metal out", and any other chemicals you have.
+ Purchase or order 2 quarts of polyquat and 2 quarts of HEDP, if you don't already have those
+ Purchase 5# of stabilizer for your pool
+ Test your creek water, once your kit arrives, and give use the results.
+ Have your creek water tested at your pool store, and give us the iron results.
+ Get other chemicals (acid, borax, washing soda) once we've seen the fill water results.


THEN, drain and refill your pool.

+ Do NOT add bleach while refilling.
+ Instead, add a full dose of polyquat -- 1/4 quart as soon as you start filling -- to control algae and help filter out goo, including iron
+ Fill THROUGH your circulation system, if at all possible, by putting the fill hose in your skimmer and starting the pump.
+ Add stabilizer via a sock (you'll be cleaning your filter too much to add it via the filter).

You'll also need to:
+ Add HEDP (metal out, maybe, depending on brand) based on test results.
+ Once you have the circulation system going, add a trichlor tab
+ Gradually raise pH
but how and when will depend on fill and test results.

My guess would be -- and I'll be able to tell more once you tested your fill water -- that you can be clear and blue in just a few days -- with minimal added expense.

[poolrookie]

thanks! Will probably do the best we can for another month or so and then close it up anyways....will restart from scratch next march or april....will have all the stuff to get ready for the iron and copper in the water next year definitely! will get water tested from creek, soon...will order kit too!

[PoolDoc]

Good luck!

I didn't realize it was usable now. If it is, focus on nightly doses of bleach to maintain a sanitized pool, even if there's no chlorine during the day.

[poolrookie]

Oh it is usable, just ugly green! with heat index its going to be over a 100 the rest of the week!!! i did add the 3 gallons of bleach and a bottle of algaecide from walmart, 3% copper in it tonight.... i will have a bottle of "metal free" is its exact name tomorrow from "in the swim" 32 oz bottle...

the ph has been staying perfect and the chlorine has been from 4 to 7, it's never been 0, except for when we put all the iron out in it at first 3 wks ago..but since then it's been over 4..... copper and iron are still .4 are you sure it's "Algae"??? i know copper causes green water too... we have shocked every couple days after the iron out incident, and the chlorine has always been in and filter has never been shut off, except for the one night dad tried the green to blue stuff that supposed to of soaked to the bottom then vacuumed up.. since then it's been running 24/7 with trichlor in floater and in skimmer... Just wondering is their just to many metals that haven't be sequestored very well yet... the first metal stuff i used was from walmart, then a metal out from ebay, but i think the one i have coming tomorrow is pretty good brand...from "in the swim" what do you think???

[poolrookie]

I was looking for polyquat on amazon to, and it brought up "algaecide 60 plus" from INTHESWIM, says good for well water and it doesn't effect the ph, is that good stuff? i like buying from them, free shipping and usually one day delivery. Man those Taylor kits are expensive, but sure they will pay for theirselves since it tells what all is going on with the chemicals...