Little stringy things all in the pool.

[BigDave]

Good, glad the pH is in range.

We're going to need a CYA level to proceed. You probably have some CYA from the Filppin' Frog (and metals too). I just have no idea how much. The Wall Mart HTH 6-way drops kit has a CYA test, but, the kit we prefer is the Taylor K-2006 (NOT available in stores). You can find it the testkits page here: http://pool9.net/tk/. If you purchase through that page, the forum gets some coin to keep the lights on.

It's especially important for small pools to have accurate testing because with relatively small amount of water compared to the usage they get, they get out of hand quick.

Before we go much farther, is draining / refilling the pool an option?

Have you purchased replacement chlorine cartridges for the Flippin' Frog? Don't, if you haven't.

As a trial user, you'll have to copy the URL then paste it into your browser after you log out of the forum.

Here's another URL: http://pool9.net/cl-cya/ to copy and paste that describes the basis for the method of pool care we teach here.

[PoolDoc]

. . . membership upgraded.

JED OTO / phenol red drops kit? That's good.

Add chlorine till you are DARK yellow, even orange tinted yellow. If it IS biofilm related, that may likely clear things up. If it's something else, like cottonwood seeds, then it will help but not clear it up.

Is there any plant near the pool that dropping fuzz or seeds or such? (I looked up your address in order to process your registration, and you've got a LOT of different kinds of trees near by. We see quite a bit of tree-related pool problems, from pine rosin, to cotton wood seeds, to pine needles in impellers, to falling bugs and caterpillars!)

[Mom22]

There are crepe myrtles, pine, dogwood, mulberry, and all kinds of trees surrounding. All of that stringy stuff is just sitting on the bottom of the pool unless I stir it up. I was thinking of getting a hose and trying to siphon it out. I will put that bleach in just to be safe. Thank you.

[PoolDoc]

There are crepe myrtles, pine, dogwood, mulberry, and all kinds of trees surrounding.

ARRG-G-H! Glad I'm not maintaining that pool! I *hate* "crap myrtles": they poop in pools about 350 days per year! Blossoms, seeds, leaves, twigs: they are ALWAYS shedding something. Worst pool plant, EVER!

Read this page on cleaning Intex pools: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php/24535

[Watermom]

I, on the other hand, LOVE my crepe myrtles! They are beautiful. But, mine are in the front yard away from my pool!

[PoolDoc]

Trust me, if they sneak around to the back, and take up residence near your pool . . . you'll come to hate them, too!

[Mom22]

I was looking at pictures on the web, and I think that I have white water mold. The stuff definitely looks like shredded up tissue. I think I need to drain the pool. My pool water doesn't seem to move much so I probably need to change to a sand type system. Also, I was thinking about buying that krystal clear salt water system. I hope the mold is killed off by this bleach.

[PoolDoc]

With a 15' Intex, draining is a good option if it's not too expensive.

However you need to remember that water mold, or other heavy biofilms are likely throughout your pool, and won't be gone, once you drain and refill. So:

1. Clean the cartridge and cartridge filter case carefully. If you are using Intex cartridges which are supposed to be discarded, this would be a good time to purchase a pair of Unicel replacements. The Super Simple Recipe page covers the details: http://pool9.net/ssr/

2. Chlorinating while you fill can be tricky -- you won't have stabilizer in the water, and the volume is constantly changing. An alternative is to dump an overdose of polyquat into the water. Unlike chlorine or other algae chemicals, an overdose of polyquat is not a problem: http://pool9.net/polyquat/

3. Once you have the pool operating, keep the chlorine HIGH. If you have a K2006, maintain a chlorine level that is 20% of your CYA level for at least 2 weeks after you see no trace of the water mold. (IE, if your CYA is 20, your FC should be 4; CYA=50 => FC= 10 ppm)

[BigDave]

I'd like to add to PoolDoc's advice. Be sure to brush the pool as often as you can while trying to get rid of the biofilm (white water mold) especially after drain/refill. The outside of the colony is chlorine resistant; if you can break it up and get the chlorine to the inside, it will help. Likewise, the stuff will hide in the hard to reach places like inside the hoses. I wouldn't guess at how to physically clean those convoluted hoses, I'd replace them if possible.

[Mom22]

Okay, I am ordering things right away, and I will also replace the hoses. Thank you so much. I appreciate all the advice. There is a lot more to a pool than I thought, but it is so worth it.