There is not much to add other than the digs at Wal-Mart shoppers and employees. My issues with Wal-Mart are not with the folks in the stores but with certain corporate policies I won't go into. I don't turn my nose at people who shop there because they need to save money and time, nor at people who work there because they need jobs. I go there to buy things I cannot get elsewhere such as the 6-way test kit. It is a simple as that.

It is also very simple: if the advice here conflicts with the advice you get elsewhere you must choose whose advice to follow. Too often people try to mix and match and that doesn't work when advice conflicts. As happened here we then get blamed and told "Well, if you don't want to help!". Imagine asking a teacher for help with spelling (Watermom is a teacher) and then constantly telling her "But Sally down at the advertising agency says to spell it this way!" That teacher will say "Then spell it the way Sally says and let me help someone else." So when someone wants to do that, we back off.

Our methods work and have worked for many thousand of pool owners. Yesterday I pulled the cover off my pool and started my filter. It was green. Today it is blue and clear with some dusty junk on the bottom and tomorrow that will be clean, too. Simple, no magic. Just 5 gallons of LC at the right time and I brushed the floor to knock the stuff loose. I haven't even vacuumed yet or started adding the CYA for the season.

You are having far more trouble than you need. Ultimately, every pool is the SOLE responsibility of the owner, not forums you find on the Internet. We can only advise as best we can from the info you give us and from our shared experinces. We can only recommend actions and if you choose not to follow them...THE RESULTS ARE STILL YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!