my water is clearing but still cloudy

[mspool]

What is de for the filter and where do I get it? I have ordered ben's test kit meanwhile all I have is aquachem from walmart. it says that I can't test for ph ta or hardness until I get my chlorine down to 5. soooo I only have test numbers from before I shocked the pool. I will try the de if I can find it anywhere around here.... smallish town but there are a few pool stores. I am also planning to keep the chlorine at 25ppm for at least 3 more days????? does this sound right.

[mbar]

DE is diatomaceous earth - it is made for the DE filters. You can get it at a pool store, or walmart. It is a very gritty filter medium. You would only need a small bag. If you go to a pool store, can you get a water test? It would be good to see if your chlorine is holding, but a couple of more days of high chlorine won't hurt - you will really know too, if the water clears up with the DE, then the algae is most likely dead.

[rtpatter]

It definitely sounds like you have more of a filter problem than a chemical problem. I would try a little clarifier or add a small amount of DE to the filter and see if you have any improvement. If this works then you can add a little more until it clears. Running high CL for a few days won't hurt but if your FC is holding steady overnight then it probably isn't doing much good either.

[mspool]

I have a sand filter. Is de ok to add to the skimmer if you have a sand filter. Its not going to mess up the sand is it?

[mbar]

No, it won't mess up the sand filter - I do it all the time. Just put in 1 lb, and watch your pressure - 1 lb shouldn't raise it much. It just helps to filter out the really small particles. You can also put a skimmer sock in your skimmer to help get the fine particles, you can find them on line or at a pool store. Some people just use an old nylon stocking.