Re-occurring ZOMBIE Algae...

[Waldog]

Woah! Stop the train!

If you brushed it, and got a green cloud, it's mustard algae. End of story! (You could ALSO have sand present.)

Yeah... that's what I've been saying all along. I suspected Mustard Algae... Sand I'm not so worried about. My yard is a sand pit for the most part.

So what can I do to defeat the mustard algae... you have mentioned high phosphates as a contributor to pools that experience mustard algae.

Can I get some phosphate reducer and give it a shot, and bring my shock level to mustard level and maintain it?

Is there a magic potion I can use? Some sort of algae dance? Just keep my FC high and keep brushing and pray it eventually goes away?

A small strategically placed nuclear device maybe?

[PoolDoc]

I'll help you get some phosphate remover. I'm currently using it, and it seems to work well, BUT . . .

You have to understand it's something an unrelenting process, that requires you to CONTINUOUSLY maintain a low PO4 level (< 0.125 ppm). Typically this will mean adding a small amount of PO4 remover every time you add water. It may require that you add a bit of clarifier to clear the resulting cloudiness.

You MUST understand that adding PO4 remover does NOTHING useful until you reach that 0.125 ppm threshold. If you reduce your PO4 level from 3 ppm (3,000 ppb) to 500 ppb . . . it may not help at all!

I'm trying to work this out on a 200,000 gal country club pool now. It loses about 1" of water per day, and is refilled with city water with 2 - 4 ppm PO4 levels (2,000 - 4,000 ppb), so it's necessary to add a small amount of PO4 remover at least every other day.

You'll also have to look at what chemicals you are using, and make sure you are not using anything that adds phosphates. If you have a problem with metal stains, this can be a challenge, since the effective metal chelants are based on phosphonates, and eventually release 'ortho-phosphates' (the algae-feeding kind). However, quite a few pool chemicals contain 'stealth phosphates', such as almost any product made by United Chemical (unless they've recently reformulated).

This REQUIRES that you use an accurate phosphate kit.

If you're up for this, I'd be happy to help. From what I can tell, it's pretty easy and not very expensive . . . once you work out a maintenance program for YOUR pool. In fact, I hope you do pursue this, since I'm looking for others who can test the process.

But, I'd be unfair to you if I didn't suggest a possible simpler alternative: draining and refilling! I do NOT know why some pools are prone to mustard algae. And in my local experience, draining and refilling does NOT solve the problem. But, it might for you, and then you wouldn't have to mess with one more factor (phosphate levels).

Lemme know what you want to do. Because of the kit cost, getting started with PO4 removal will cost you about $80. However, with a 5k gallon pool, you should be set not only for this year, but next season as well.

[Watermom]

5K pool? I'd drain. Just my $0.02.

[Waldog]

5K pool? I'd drain. Just my $0.02.

I can't drain... We are on a well... with high iron content... in the country. We just had the well replaced two years ago (re-drilled). I was worried about causing issues with the well again so we used a water truck and it was $300.00 in water. It wound up costing more than the pool.

I'm willing to try the phosphate remover as an experiment if it will help PoolDoc.

What else will be required? Will I need to shock the pool. Can I still borate?

I have not filled the pool with any other water other than RAIN water that has been filling the pool over the past two months. Is it possible rain water is high in phosphates?

If this was a "regular" Florida summer, and I had to deal with evaporation, I would have used the well but only for a few inches of water at a time, and ran it through a pre-filter.

PoolDoc, is there a link to where I can get the phosphate remover and kit?

[Watermom]

I agree with you. On a well with iron, don't drain.

[PoolDoc]

1. I'd be glad to have the help, BUT I don't want anyone to do it for that reason. If you want to try it, I'll help and collect info. If not, that's fine too. It was only an offer. Once I have a few more "ducks lined up", I'll probably invite participation, but I'm not at that point yet.

2. Go ahead with borates: it's fairly easy, and fairly cheap for a 5,000 gallon pool (5 boxes of borax + 1 1/4 gallons of 31% muriatic acid). That would be a useful experiment, too. The best info I have at present is that borates help with winterization and green algae, but not so much with mustard algae.

3. The kits you need are ALL linked from the testkit page: http://pool9.net/tk/

4. Phosphate remover is problematic. Most of the phosphate removers available are highly diluted and over-priced. The Kem-Tek brand I've recommended on Amazon has morphed into the Clorox brand and is now EXTREMELY diluted. The only desirable product is the Orenda PR-10000, which is not widely available except in large commercial quantities. For now, you'll have to search for it yourself. But I'm looking at some other options.

[BigDave]

I bought Kem-Tek phosphate remover yesterday on Amazon. Still in stock now. Maybe I should stock up.

[PoolDoc]

Make sure it's still the 2 ppm PO4 per 10,000 gallon, rather than the diluted 0.75 ppm/10k gal stuff. The original is a better value than all other products EXCEPT the hard to find Orenda product. The new diluted 'Clorox' blend is a very POOR value.

[Waldog]

Dang it! I should have check this thread yesterday while I was at home depot! They actually had ONE bottle of KEM-TECH phosphate remover, and it was DUSTY. I imagine it was just what I was looking for. They also had POOL-TIME brand but the packaging boasted about "water clarity" and I was like mmmmmhmmmm you've got something else in you... But, this bottle of KEM-TECH looked very good. It had the amount chart on the back, and did not boast that it contained other additives. I might swing back by there and see if they still have it. It was off on it's own away from all the flashy products. Oh and it was $12, I will check amazon for comparison.

1. I'd be glad to have the help, BUT I don't want anyone to do it for that reason. If you want to try it, I'll help and collect info. If not, that's fine too. It was only an offer. Once I have a few more "ducks lined up", I'll probably invite participation, but I'm not at that point yet.

2. Go ahead with borates: it's fairly easy, and fairly cheap for a 5,000 gallon pool (5 boxes of borax + 1 1/4 gallons of 31% muriatic acid). That would be a useful experiment, too. The best info I have at present is that borates help with winterization and green algae, but not so much with mustard algae.

3. The kits you need are ALL linked from the testkit page: http://pool9.net/tk/

4. Phosphate remover is problematic. Most of the phosphate removers available are highly diluted and over-priced. The Kem-Tek brand I've recommended on Amazon has morphed into the Clorox brand and is now EXTREMELY diluted. The only desirable product is the Orenda PR-10000, which is not widely available except in large commercial quantities. For now, you'll have to search for it yourself. But I'm looking at some other options.

[Waldog]

It was this exact bottle for $12 http://www.amazon.com/Kem-Tek-KTK-50...remover&dpPl=1

Should I have picked this up???