Re-occurring ZOMBIE Algae...

[PoolDoc]

Waldog, let me caution you:

1. There's no evidence that borax will help much with mustard algae. It won't hurt, but it may not help either.

2. You are wasting time and money messing with phosphates without testing. You could lower your PO4 level from 4,000 ppb to 400 ppb . . . and accomplish NOTHING. You have to get it below 125 ppb (0.125 ppm) to accomplish anything useful.

If you really want to try it, search online for a quart of Orenda PR-10000 ($50 - 60 delivered) It's very unlikely that your pool has more that your pool has more than 10 ppm PO4, and that product will remove up to 20 ppm from YOUR pool. Clean your filter and THEN add no more than 1/2 cup. Wait at least 4 days, before cleaning your filter. Repeat this 5 more times (clean filter, add 1/2 cup, circulate for 3 days). Most likely that will work.

But you'd still be better off with a test kit.

[Waldog]

Ben,

Thanks for all the help! Yes, I understood what the benefits are of Borax and that it most likely would not help the mustard algae. I was looking more toward the "other" benefits; sparkly water, resistance to green algae, etc.

At any rate, the pool was looking good on late last week so I took the plunge. I added one gallon of MA to reduce my PH, and brushed to mix. Then I added the borax and brushed to mix. The next day I tested and my PH was slightly high so I added more MA, and then it was slightly LOW, so I aerated. LOL

My better half had ordered the Intex Krystal Clear Salt System on amazon, and it came on Friday. Picked up four 40lb bags of pool salt and added to the pool on Saturday. We swam most of the afternoon to mix up the salt, and Sunday morning I connected the system and it worked instantly.

The water was a bit cloudy after the salt, but before, it was sparkly. I imagine that might have been a result of the borax because it never was that sparkly before.

At any rate, the pool is a lot clearer this AM, and I'm running the pump 24/7 right now to keep everything mixing. I have the salt system set to run 6 hours, so I will test FC today when I get home.

I also added two pucks in a floater because I know with the salt system my CYA needs to be higher than 40 (that it is now).

So far, so good. The crazy thing is I have seen NO SIGNS of the mustard algae since I did this. So time will tell...

[PoolDoc]

Maybe borax works against the mustard algae in your pool -- after all, mustard algae is not a particular species of algae, but some sort of conglomeration, that varies from pool to pool.

The sparkly effect IS one of the often reported results of using borax.

Glad it worked so well for you; hope it continues to do so.