Quote Originally Posted by stcohen View Post
Filled with well water. Now green-brown.
1. Purchase 4 - 6 quart of polyquat => http://pool9.net/polyquat/
2. Run your filter 24/7.
3. Add a DOUBLE dose of polyquat immediately, directly to the pool.
4. Purchase a K2006 testkit ASAP => http://pool9.net/tk/
5. Purchase a cheapo OTO/phenol red drops kit locally. Use it to adjust your pH to near 7.0 . . . but NOT lower.
6. Order a quart of 60% HEDP or 3 quarts of 20%:

Jacks Magic The Pink Stuff 1qt (60% HEDP) @ Amazon
20% KemTek HEDP @ Amazon
7. If you KNOW your pool is already stained, order -- but do not use yet -- several pounds of ascorbic acid:
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) can be used to remove copper and iron stains from pool surfaces, and put the metal BACK into your pool water. (Not likely to be available locally, except as Vitamin pills.)
Ascorbic Acid Powder @ Amazon
Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C Powder USP Pharma Grade 11 Lbs @ Amazon
8. Continue dosing with polyquat every 2 days.
9. If the pool remains green, consider adding borax; 60 ppm of borates will make it easier to kill the algae. On your pool, this would require about 22 boxes of 20 Mule Team borax and about 7 gallons of 31% (full strength) muriatic acid. (See http://pool9.net/ma/

The problem you have is that adding chlorine to a pool full of iron tends to make staining inevitable. Ideally, you need to remove the iron BEFORE you begin chlorinating. BUT, you can't let the pool become a slime pit during this period.