Murky algae pool

[janbogus]

Readings last night prior to adding bleach: chlorine: 3.0. PH: 7.2

This morning: chlorine: 5.0. PH: 6.8
PH is dropping. Do I need to worry about it? Using leaf rake and vacuuming to waste.

[PoolDoc]

Retest pH this evening, and if it's still low, add 1/2 box of borax.

What does your water look like?

[janbogus]

I will have to get my son to test the pool this evening (working out of town until tomorrow) and add the bleach/possible borax. This morning the color was a pale light green- getting closer! (It has not been this light with any of the shock etc I was using before. I can make out the second step now. The first step the water looks clear except for what I am suspecting is mustard algae (or dead algae but it has a brown color to it). When I vacuum or use the leaf rake along the bottom of the pool, you can see a cloud form in the water.

Jan

[PoolDoc]

When I vacuum or use the leaf rake along the bottom of the pool, you can see a cloud form in the water.

Sounds like mustard algae.

[janbogus]

Levels this evening are chlorine 3.4 and pH 7.2. I figure I've had a couple different types of algae. Will have to read up on the site on how to get rid of the mustard algae as the green disappears.

[janbogus]

Received my Taylor 6200 kit today. Took new readings and if I did the analysis correctly, I got the following levels:
FE: 1.2, CC: 2.2 Ph: 7.0, Alk: 100, CYA: 42, and CAL: >1100.

I added two more gallons of bleach. I did not add the borax the other day because the levels had risen. Looks like I need to add it now. The pool is a hazy, cloudy blue. I can make out the jets and the third step in the shallow end. When I started to vacuum to waste tonight, the billowing clouds returned. So it looks like the mustard algae is still there.

What would you suggest next?

[Watermom]

These testing demos may be helpful to you:> http://pool9.net/K2006-vid/

Raise your chlorine back up to shock level which is based on your CYA level:> http://pool9.net/cl-cya/

[PoolDoc]

Two questions:

1. Are you sure your CH (calcium hardness) is 1,100?

That's 110 drops of reagent! If you haven't already, watch the Taylor videos: http://pool9.net/tk-guide/ and http://pool9.net/tk-interfere/

Also, please test the pH, TA and CH of the water you filled your pool with -- presumably your house water, but upstream of any softener, etc.


2. Can you explain the sequence of the "billowing clouds"? Where were these clouds billowing from?

I don't understand, since vacuuming to waste should have ZERO effect on your pool water, since the discharge water is going out the backwash line.