At My Wits End

[Jeannie]

Ok. If it's green AND cloudy, it's almost certainly algae.

Add 8 gallons of 6% bleach this evening -- about 50 ppm of chlorine -- and see what you've got in the morning. If possible, test with OTO drops in the AM, as well. Don't pour all the bleach in the same spot -- you don't want to 'hot-spot' your pool.

EIGHT GALLONS? Wow.

[PoolDoc]

Yeah, I've occasionally seen people 'grow' nice crops of VERY chlorine resistant algae. The pool goop see-saw you've been riding is ideal for that purpose.

[Jeannie]

I only had 6.84 gallons.. I threw it all in. I was going to add the 3 lbs of Power Powder Plus that I had.. but figured I'd stop adding that stuff!

[Jeannie]

Okay... 1 drop of the OTO turned the water orange.
My CH was 120
My Ph looked to be red.. way up matching the 8
My TA was weird. It never turned red. It went from a very odd looking green (blueish) to YELLOW. It took 8 drops.. so 80.
CYA also seems to have gone up? It looks about 55.

I am - quite honestly - ready to just close the pool and my kids are devastated.

[PoolDoc]

Your pH and TA readings will be weird with chlorine that high -- that's normal. Ignore them. (Don't test them! -- Don't test anything but chlorine.)

Here's the important question, once the sun hits your pool: what does the water LOOK like?

If it looks at all better, plan to put up to 8 gallons in tonight. But, test first -- don't add that much unless (a) the water looks better and (b) the OTO is no longer orange.

. . . . and Jeannie, I'm sorry, but we can't magically undo all the wrong things that have been done to your pool, under your pool store's instructions. We can help you recover, but when you hit yourself in the head with a hammer -- even when though the 'doctor' told you to do so -- you're gonna get a lump, and all we can do is try to take the hammer away, hand you some ice, and say, "don't do that any more, please!".

[Jeannie]

Oh.. and with all that.. not a SINGLE change to the pool water. Still dark green, still cloudy.

[Jeannie]

Your pH and TA readings will be weird with chlorine that high -- that's normal. Ignore them. (Don't test them! -- Don't test anything but chlorine.)

Here's the important question, once the sun hits your pool: what does the water LOOK like?

If it looks at all better, plan to put up to 8 gallons in tonight. But, test first -- don't add that much unless (a) the water looks better and (b) the OTO is no longer orange.

. . . . and Jeannie, I'm sorry, but we can't magically undo all the wrong things that have been done to your pool, under your pool store's instructions. We can help you recover, but when you hit yourself in the head with a hammer -- even when though the 'doctor' told you to do so -- you're gonna get a lump, and all we can do is try to take the hammer away, hand you some ice, and say, "don't do that any more, please!".

I get that. I don't expect miracles... but there has been absolutely ZERO change. Not even a little bit. I don't blame you or anyone but myself... but I am frustrated and I just can't afford 8 gallons of bleach a night. I'm sad.

[PoolDoc]

I just can't afford 8 gallons of bleach a night.

Do you have an OTO test -- the test sample should be ORANGE.

Honestly, if I was there, I would buy the chemicals myself, because I'd like to know what's going on. But, I'm not, so I can't. I'm afraid the best I can offer, is to help when you start up next year!

Please come ask EARLY (March!), so you can get what you need, BEFORE you're ready to open.

Best wishes!