Need instructions on opening a pool

[Watermom]

I AM keep tabs on my water parameters. If you read my first post, you'll see that the only reason I went to the pool store was because I was out of agent for the Stabilizer (CYA) test. (I have some ordered and on the way.) It is the $15 Aqua CHem test from Wal-Mart. (We can't all afford to spend $80 on Ben's test kit, unfortunately.) I tested the pool this morning and added bleach as needed. I just tested it again and here are the results (with what little agent I had left for the CYA.)

pH 7.2
cl 3
alk 110
CYA LOW the dot never disappeared and the tube was full of water.

I'm guessing I'll have to go to the pool store and get something to raise the CYA before this algae will go away? Here's a picture of the shallow end: http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b5...t=IMG_0012.jpg
and of the stairs: http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b5...ent=Stairs.jpg and if you look at the very first picure posted (Hit next) you can see what it looked like last year.

Heidi,
I took a look at your pics and yep - it's green alright! I wouldn't even worry about my cya reading right now. Just focus on killing the algae. I know it probably feels like you have added a ton of bleach already, but it's gonna take a whole lot more. Keeping your chlorine reading at 3 is never going to kill the algae. You need to test your water 3 times a day and each time, add enough bleach to raise your chlorine level back up to 10 -12. In a 22,000 gallon pool, each 3 quart bottle of 6% bleach that you add will raise your chlorine level by 2ppm. It is going to take a LOT of bleach, but if you will consistently keep the chlorine level up to 10-12 it will clear. (Remember, if your test kit won't test past 3 or 5, you can dilute your sample and get a higher reading. Take one part pool water and one part distilled water, mix them together and then test as usual. Multiply your result by 2. If that doesn't read high enough, take one part pool water and two parts distilled water and multiply the result by 3, etc.) As Janet said, if you let the chlorine level yo-yo up and down, you'll never kill the algae. Good luck. Keep us posted on how things are going and keep hammering away with bleach! Hope this helps.

Watermom