I do not have algae, the nitrate reading is 5 ppm per the pool store.

My water is crystal clear, and was clear before I added the 1b of power powder plus.

When I checked the chlorine level this morning using a test strip the FC and Total Chlorine were both reading low at 0.5. The guys at the pool store told me that the nitrates in the pool were the likely cause of the water not holding chlorine. As I mentioned before I want to avoid having to drain my pool since I have a well I can't refill it using my water, I would need to incur the expense of having water trucked in.

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Thanks Waterbear! I just purchased 25lb of the granular shock, if I do need to shock the pool I would want to use this since I already have it and don't want to waste it. Both Leslies and Anthony and Sylvan (who built my pool) have told me I should use granular shock in my pool. I will go and purchase the test kits you mentioned and post the results when I have them--and wait to shock the pool until then as well!