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Thread: Best Shock for Algae

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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Best Shock for Algae

    Hi, I am new to the forum and have been searching to see if there is a post that shows what brand of chemicals everyone prefers. The only pool supply store I am near carries Bioguard. But, I don't mind shopping on Amazon. I need a good shock for algae.

  2. #2
    swimdaddy is offline *Removed User* Weir Watcher swimdaddy 0
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    Default Re: Best Shock for Algae

    Chlorine in the form of good 'ol bleach. "Shock" just means you bring your chlorine in the pool up to a level that will kill an algae bloom, usually up to 20-25% of your CYA or stabilizer level. You can buy bleach from any store, for me the cheapest is walmart brand regular bleach, costs about $2.90 for 121 oz (not quite a gallon). Even cheaper is the Pool Essentials chlorine at $2.50 in the pool section of walmart, and it is more concentrated. Some people on this forum get chlorine elsewhere, it depends on where you live. I have checked with my local pool store and their chlorine is way too expensive. The only thing I buy at my local pools store is Taylor testing reagents and PVC parts for my pool brand, and even then I can usually find it cheaper online.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Best Shock for Algae

    Thanks! I guess I need to educate myself a bit more on chemicals. I assumed "shock" purchased from the pool store had something else in it!

  4. #4
    Anonymous [GDPR] European in the UK Guest

    Default Re: Best Shock for Algae

    Quote Originally Posted by spatt View Post
    Thanks! I guess I need to educate myself a bit more on chemicals. I assumed "shock" purchased from the pool store had something else in it!
    Now you mention it, yes it has. Usually more cyanuric acid stabiliser, A lot of pools get into trouble through being over stabilised so adding bleach removes that issue.
    Very powerful shock (HTH brand etc are calcium hypochlorite) this doesn't contain stabiliser but is usually more expensive than bleach and can add even more calcium hardness.
    That means bleach is the way to go!

  5. #5
    swimdaddy is offline *Removed User* Weir Watcher swimdaddy 0
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    Default Re: Best Shock for Algae

    Your welcome! You can learn a lot by browsing around this forum or the sister site Pool Solutions.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Best Shock for Algae

    Thank you both. I didn't get much education when we had the pool installed 3 years ago. Just a pentair test kit, chlorine tabs, baking soda, muratic acid and a huge bill. The pentair test kit seemed fine until I developed some sort of algae a few weeks ago. It actually looked like a rust stain at first then morphed into what looked like a clot of dirt stuck to the bottom then it started spreading. I am assuming it's black algae but the color is still rust so maybe mustard algae. So, I headed to the only pool store in my town and they had me shock it and add an algae killer which did nothing except cause my pool to foam and develop a weird green film on the water line of my filter baskets. We have brushed, scraped and rubbed with a chlorine tablet but nothing has changed. So, after reading a few posts her I decided maybe I better order a different test kit and see what is really going on with my water. Until I get the Taylor K2006 kit that I ordered I don't feel comfortable dumping bleach in because my current test kit only goes to 3.0. I have never tested anything other than chlorine, PH and alkalinity. I am confused about all the other tests mentioned in posts. Hopefully, after doing some additional research on the boards I will be able to find out what else I need to be doing!

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