Conversion Complete, but pool still cloudy!

[mjones]

Ok, I am posting a new thread here, because I believe that my conversion from bac to cl is complete, but my water is still cloudy.

Yesterday afternoon, I could see the bottom step & even the leaf net when I put it on bottom of shallow end. Deep end, I can only see about 3 feet deep. Pool just looks extra cloudy.


TCL was 5, I added 13-(3qt) bottles of 6% bleach (9.75 gallons??),
FCL was 5
ph was 7.4
alk was 180
cya is still 100

So, then I brushed, it was like a brownish fog hit the water.
Could this be Algae?
I put a skimmer sock on, & a few hours later it was COVERED with this brown stuff. This morning it was completely COVERED with the same stuff. It isn't really "slimy" but it isn't "gritty" either.
Anybody out there have ANY clues????
Thanks in advance....

[waterbear]

Could possibly be algae. With a CYA level of 100 Ben's best guess chart recommends running your FC at 8-15 ppm and shocking to 25 ppm!
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=365

Could also possibly mean that the Bac conversion is not complete. Don't know that much about it (Never used Biguinide) but from everything I've read about it here on the forum it seems that you need to keep the CL levels up until the water is clear and keep cleaning the filter.

Either way Chlorine is the cure! Get your FC level back up and keep it there until it clears and keep the pump/filter running.

[mjones]

I went home @ lunch & added 4.5 more gallons of bleach. I forgot to mention that last year, while on baquacrap, I had a terrible problem with mustard algae. Never could get completely rid of it. Weather finally took care of it. This "stuff" that is in my pool looks like the same thing. I can't see the bottom, but on the steps it settles, almost like dirt, it is not gritty, maybe a tiny bit slimey. But when I brush it gets all stirred up. My skimmer sock isn't catching as much now, but I plan to stir it up again when I get home by brushing it. Anyway, I am reading that some people HAVE to use the copper based stuff to get rid of mustard algae. True? Oh, I felt of it in the skimmer sock, it kinda felt like a wet cottony feel or smething strang feeling. I even caught a couple of CLEAR leaves... Bleached out except for the VEINS of leaf.

[prh129]

Check out the following thread:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=770

It looks like mwsmith has had mustard algae problems in the past and polyquat took care of the problem for him.

[mjones]

Thanks I looked at it!!
I am pretty sure that I have mustard algae. So, Do you know how much polyquat I should add & should I put it in the skimmer??

Misty

[mjones]

I have been sweeping daily to keep junk stirred up. Skimmer socks have been catching ALOT of brown stuff(mustard algae??). So, I bought 2 qrts of polyquat yesterday, and put it all in there last night. I know, it was too much , but my mind wasn't working, & I was desperate.

This morning, I CAN SEE THE BOTTOM SEAMS IN SHALLOW END!!!!! YEA!!!! There is a slight oily looking film on top of water. I have one of those floating sponge things, I hope it will take care of that.

The skimmer socks were completely brown, so I cleaned them & then backwashed. OH MY GOODNESS!!! The water was horrible!!

I added 3 gallons of bleach this a.m. & 9 ounces of clarifier.

Sound ok??

[prh129]

I looked at the Pooltrine brand Polyquat and they recommend 16 oz per 10K gallons so for your 30K pool you would use 1.5 quarts so 2 quarts isn't way off.

As far as the chlorine, what do your latest test numbers look like?

Lastly, I don't know how well a clarifier works so I can't help you there.

If you look up mwsmith2, try to send him a PM - since he has dealt with mustard algae he should be able to give you good advice.

Peter

[VOLDADDY]

Instead of brushing the stuff and just stirring it around, vac it to waste. There is no sense in leaving it in there, especially if the chlorine is still fighting it. I had small amounts of that brown residue when I did my conversion last year. The key is keeping the bleach hammered to it 3x a day to your proper shock level. If your CYA is 100, then you need to be adding more bleach than you are now, like mentioned above. Are you usine the bleach calc? If not, it is a must have, so download it. Don't give up, you will actually enjoy your pool this year instead of fight algae like I did all last year.
Good Luck!

[mjones]

Guess What!!!!!

I HAVE A BOTTOM DRAIN!!!!!

IT'S FINALLY CLEAR!!!!

I had forgotten that I have a drain down there. It is a tiny bit cloudy, but hey, I'll take it!!!


I DID IT!!! Thank Y'all SOOO much!!

[mjones]

Added 9 oz of clarifier & presto!! Pool is perfect!!