My mustard algae battle and victory

[Pamsel]

Since so many of you have tried to help me with my green pool problem, I wanted to share my success with you to say thank you and hopefully to help someone else who may have a similar situation sometime.

Rather than repeat the history of the problem here, I will say that the original threads about this are titled "My green pool saga" and "A picture is worth a thousand words" in case anyone wants to read about it. Basicly, I had a horrendous case of mustard algae that completely took over my pool. In my ignorance, I didn't recognize it or start fighting it soon enough. Before I found this forum, I had put it 30 gallons of liquid Chlorine (in two 15 gal doses), and a bunch of stuff from the pool supply store...all to no avail. Actually my water got worse during this time. After coming here, I used another 55 gal of chlorine over two weeks and was maintaining a shock level of 15ppm, working on my PH & TA, but nothing changed my pool water. It was a puzzle to most of us - we considered a bad filter, a copper problem - but in the end it was out of control algae, and the solution was --- chlorine! Much more chlorine!

Last week, I allowed my CL level to drop below 3 ppm and added one quart of Polyquat on Wed. evening. (Because chlorine can break down Polyquat, I added when the chlorine level was low.) The next evening I began shocking the pool with bleach at 30 ppm - twice the dosage I was using previously. I maintained this for 3 days and my pool underwent an amazing transformation! I simply was not using enough chlorine to get to breakpoint before and when I did - it worked!!

I used the BleachCalc each time I added chlorine to be sure I was adding the correct amount to get my pool to 30ppm. The first evening, I tested 2 hours after shocking to 30ppm and my CL was at 10ppm! The algae was eating it that fast! So I added a few more gallons of bleach. Each time it dropped, I calculated and added more bleach. And it worked!! The answer is chlorine!

Here are links to photos so that you can see the problem and the photos as we made progress. The first two photos are of the problem; the next two are taken the morning and afternoon after adding polyquat; the next two are the afternoon and evening of the first day after shocking at 30 ppm; next two are morning and evening of day two and the last one was taken yesterday, 4th day after starting the 30ppm regimen.

I want to thank all of you who helped me with this, but especially Ben for his expertise, knowledge and for making this forum available. Also, a special thanks to Dave (duraleigh) for going above and beyond and staying with me with encouragement and advice, to the glorious end! Thank you again, Dave!
I think of you each time I look at my beautiful pool!

http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-12-06.jpg
http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-13-06.jpg
http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-15%20-%...20polyquat.jpg
http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-15%20afternoon.jpg
http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-16-06%2...0aft%20(2).jpg
http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-16-06%20eve%20(1).jpg
http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-17-06%20am%20(1).jpg
http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-17-06%20evening.jpg
http://www.mtco.com/~aug20/6-19-06.jpg

[Dr. Spike]

Congratulations!

Even though I didn't offer any advice or post in your threads (I am a pool newbie, I had no advice ), I was pulling for you and your pool.

Way to stick with it and not let the algae beat you!

[haze_1956]

Outstanding Pam !!!!

Congratulations !!!!


And I have a question for you, why did you add the polyquat?

.

[Rangeball]

this-



pretty much sums it all up and makes it worthwhile, I bet

Good Job!

[Pamsel]

Haze,

I added the Polyquat because Ben told me to. He saw that I wasn't getting results so told me to do the Polyquat and then the high CL shock regimen. I didn't ask him why - I just did it.

[Karin]

Pamsel, I really identified with you; I had no idea what yellow algae looked like either. I assumed it would be clumps of yellow slime hanging on the side of the pool....wrong. Mine looked like brown dirt/dust had blown into the pool and clouds of it could be stirred up everytime I used the brush on it. My pool never got quite as dramatic as yours though.

I sent my ancient Kreepy pool boy to clean it up daily and he did---but it was always back the next day. I wasted a lot of time trying to clean that stuff up before I realized I had to KILL IT!!first.

I used liquid laundry bleach too. I wonder if using that will stain a pool or if the yellow algae leaves stains behind?

Now I am a vigilante; I give every suspicious speck a threatening look...