Pond water used to fill pool, NEED HELP!

[parealtor]

We just had a 24ft above ground pool installed. Since we have a well as our water supply, my husband had this great idea to use our pond water to fill the pool instead of having water delivered. Needless to say, our pool looks like a pond. The water is brownish orange. We have shocked the @#$* out of it all week, using skimmer socks, cleaning them and changing them several times a day, treated with an algecide, maintaining the chemicals, running the filter 24/7 and back washing. Our filter is a 1.5 HP 22" sand filter. All of the chemical readings are good with the exception of the chlorine of course. This treatment has been going on for an entire week and the water is still the lovely brownish orange!

What else can we do?

[sevver]

I have to wonder if the pond water has alot of metals in it. I don't think you can get those out. If it is brownish orange then I would imagine so as I cannot imagine what else would cause that.

[mbar]

Try some metal magic by proteam. Filter 24/7. Metal Magic is supposed to turn metals into a crystal so that it can filter out. I have not tried this yet, so I would be interested in the results. Other than that the only thing to do with metals is to keep them in solution with a metals sequesterer, you never get rid of them but the metals are bound up with the sequesterer and your water is clear. You must always keep sequesterer in the water. High chlorine levels with high ph is what causes metals to precipitate out, coloring the water, or leaving stain on the pool. Once you clear up the water, it is not hard to maintain a pool with metals in the water. Feel free to ask any other questions you have.

[duraleigh]

We might be rushing to judgement just a little to start treating metals without any other test results

All of the chemical readings are good with the exception of the chlorine of course.

Clearing pond water requires maintaining a chlorine level of around 12 + 'til the water clears. That requires testing and adding a minimum of twice daily for the duration.

I'm not sure metals are common in pond water but I know what is.....organics........lots of 'em. Chlorine, and lots of it, will probably clear your pool. If you didn't add chlorine in the quantity and consistency above, I would do that first.

For what it's worth, I have filled my pool twice with pond water and cleared it with bleach......nothing else.

[parealtor]

I appreciate everyone's input, thank you. I want to clarify about the chlorine level, it is very high due to shocking the pool. We were thinking metals too. The water is turning the skimmer sock a rust color and catching debris such as tiny insects.

I am having the water tested after work today. I'll let you know the results.

Thanks again!

[parealtor]

Guess what.........the Iron level was incredibly high. The woman who tested the water at the pool store couldn't believe how high it was. The reading was 6. I'm not sure what testing kit she used.

The pool is now being treated with a metal sequestrant and we anxiously await the results.

Thanks again for all the help