OK, I think I have an idea what's going on. I deleted a bunch of our chit-chat posts, and reformatted most of yours for readability. What I think is happen is that you've got a combination of problems, some of which are -- as you wondered earlier -- "just now catching up with you".

But I'm not sure! What's very clear is that you have a very confusing situation. Some of our posts have been less then helpful, because none of us were 'twigging' to all the facts you'd provided. I don't feel as bad as I might have, because some of those facts dribbled out over 3 or 4 posts and several days. Again, that's not your fault, but it has made it hard for us to see what's going on. Let me give you a list -- a LONG list -- of things to do:

1. Please verify that I have (finally) got the facts right about your pool:
+ You have a 4 year old Intex 16' round pool that you've used successfully for the previous 3 years.
+ You have used an Intex SWCG that has visible copper bars.
+ You have the Taylor K2006 kit, and have tried the calcium test, but have always gotten strange results.
+ Your pool was green and slimy on opening, but is now greenish (greenish-blue?) and somewhat clear.
+ Your pool's surfaces are not now slimy or slippery, and have not been for several days (a week?)
2. Please collect some of your green goo / powder, and put a visible amount in 4 clear glass containers. (Wine glasses would be great, and this shouldn't hurt them.) Place the glasses on a clear background outdoors, like a plastic picnic table or light picnic cloth. Wear plastic gloves and glasses. Then:
+ Add 2 tablespoons of distilled water from Walmart to each glass.
+ Add a teaspoon of bleach to one, a teaspoon of acid to another, and 2 - 3 Vitamin C tabs to a third glass. Leave the fourth with goo + distilled only. Stir them up using a plastic spoon. Mark or label the glasses so you know -- for a certainty -- which is which. (You can use magic marker, and then remove it with rubbing alcohol)
+ Wait 1 hour, then observe each glass, and note the conditions of each.
+ Take high res photographs of the glasses, just after adding and stirring, and an hour later. Send the photos to poolforum@gmail.com, and include your user ID "rox29160" and the thread # "23663"
3. Watch the Taylor videos:
http://pool9.net/tk-guide/
http://pool9.net/tk-interfere/
. Pay especial attention to the calcium hardness test INTERFERENCES video.

4. DO a complete set of test on your pool water AND the water you fill the pool with. DO the calcium test with, and without, the modification. Report the results here.

5. Take pictures of the pool, the pipes, and the SWCG. Send the photos to poolforum@gmail.com, and include your user ID "rox29160" and the thread # "23663" . Don't worry about taking too many pictures -- I can discard the ones that don't help, but I can't look at the ones you don't send.

6. Let your chlorine drop to normal (5 ppm or so) levels.


Thanks!