Florida pool owners: Pollen or algae?

[gonefishin]

The pollen around here has been unreal too. A few weeks ago I had thought I had a mustard algae problem because it looked just like what others had taken a picture of and also called mustard algae. At first i hadn't noticed any pollen problems near my house.

But after several weeks of this problem had gone by...I had shocked at a high rate but the problem persisted. I also noticed at one point that it looked like I may be beating the problem because I didn't notice any more of the substance in the bottom of the pool. But this coincided with a rain one time (knocking down the pollen) and what I suspect being in between bloom times of the trees.

I took a sample and it was clear that the problem was pollen and not mustard algae. It wasn't until a few days after I had taken my samples that the wind was blowing while I was outside and it looked like it was raining pollen. The amount was unbelievable!

After a bit more time I also started to notice a large amount of white scale pieces in my pool. These are seed encased in a seedcaot attached to a "wing" (which is how the seed "flies" away from the tree. What I believe is happening is that the problem I have is a combination of pollen AND these seeds.

Now I vacuum my pool every two days and keep regular tabs on my chlorine levels. I also run my pump from morning to night, so it's not as if I'm neglecting my pool. But what I believe is happening (and I may be wrong) is that the pollen and seed are getting caught in my cartridge filter (which I cannot vacuum to waste). The pollen may go through immediately or it may take some time to get pushed through the filter. The seed/wing segments I'm sure are being caught in the filter but I wonder if the "wing" section deteriorates from the pollen sized seed allowing the (now) water logged seed (and water logged pollen) to pass through the filter media.

I would suspect sand filters to act in the same way unless you vacuum to waste (which is why I asked Janet what type of filter she had).

just a few thoughts...
dan

[rilesworld]

I too have been battling what I now believe to be silt or pollen. Originally, I thought it might have been the mustard algae and I took the precaution to shock heavily for 4 days. However, the problem persists. I still get some brown deposits on the floor of my pool.

I have also been getting the white scaley things floating on top. You can barely see them unless you catch it at the right angle and then you can see all the particulate on the surface. My suspicion is that my sand filter is not filtering this pollen/silt out and it just keeps running through.

My next step is to take apart my sand filter (which I have never done) to make sure that the sand is in good shape. Beyond that I'm sure it will eventually get vacuumed out.

Good luck!

Riles