Green or mustard? How to tell the difference?

[gumbeaux71]

Hi all,
Been battling some algae. Thought I had it licked last week, then it came back after having the pool covered every day this week. Problem I have is that I'm having trouble telling whether it is mustard or green, as my IG vinyl pool has a blue-turquoise liner. I initially treated it as mustard, but I am wondering if I misdiagnosed it. Any hints on how to tell?

Also, what is the best way to treat it if it is green? I have never had green before. Do I just make sure I keep my FC way up?

And another thing, please help settle a debate. My DH says that covering the pool does not help the algae grow. I say it does! He wants to keep it covered so it's warmer and more enjoyable. I want it uncovered until we stop getting algae!

Thanks!
Erica

[topless]

I've fought mustard algae for the last 4 years. It's very fine and if disturbed clouds just like fine dirt in the water. At first I thought one of the kids had thrown some dirt in the pool. It's light colored, barely yellow-tan colored dust at first. As it grows, it gets to be a thicker covering and easier to discern that it's alive and not dirt, since dirt doesn't multiply.

[Watermom]

since dirt doesn't multiply.

With three boys, one husband and two golden retrievers, at my house it DOES multiply!

[gumbeaux71]

Thanks, topless. This time, there seems to be a slime along the walls. I never noticed it with mustard. Last season, we had a lighter blue pool liner that was old and fairly bleached. It was easy to see the kind/color of algae. We just had the liner changed this season and it's much darker and harder to tell what color algae is hanging around.

[mbar]

No matter what kind of algae it is, bleach, bleach, bleach. You have to get your pool to shock levels, and keep it there running the filter 24/7. Brush the pool daily. Check chlorine levels 3x a day if possible, most importantly check after the sun goes down - and in early morning to see if you are losing any chlorine overnight - once you hold chlorine over night, keep it at shock for 3 more days, then let the levels fall back to normal. If you don't get it all it will start to grow back - so continue testing once the sun goes down and keep your chlorine at the high end of the best guess chart for a while. If you notice you start to use a lot more chlorine - then start to shock again.

[eckardsl]

would not necessarily agree with bleach, bleach, bleach to combat mustard algae. That won't work. You need polyquat. Just look for "poly" in the ingredients, preferably 60%. Get it at Walmart. I've been there and done that.

[chem geek]

If you truly have yellow/mustard algae and not pollen or dirt, then it takes a higher level of chlorine to kill it. See this thread for additional info (and this thread for some pictures). The shock level required is an FC level that is approximately 55% of the CYA level if one lowers the pH to 7.2 before adding the large amounts of chlorine needed. The shock method of maintaining a high FC level is the same for this algae, just at a higher FC level (i.e. you must keep adding chlorine to maintain the high FC level and not let it drop). In areas where the yellow/mustard algae is regularly reintroduced (blown in), after the algae is gone, then it may be necessary to maintain the "Max" level of chlorine from Ben's chart or roughly an FC of 15% of the CYA level.

The results with pool owners using PolyQuat 60 to kill this algae have been mixed though it does seem to help prevent it (as it prevents all algae) IF lower chlorine levels are maintained. That is, chlorine alone can prevent and kill this algae, but higher levels are required as noted above. The use of 50 ppm Borates is another option for prevention.

Note that yellow/mustard algae is often reintroduced into a pool from bathing suits so be sure and thoroughly wash bathing suits (hot soapy water) after you've been in a pool with such algae.

As for determining for certain whether it is yellow/mustard algae vs. pollen, have an open bucket of water near the pool and see if it gets yellow dust on its surface. Also, use a skimmer sock and see if it collects a lot of material and see if it is slimy to the touch (algae) or not (pollen). Take a small sample and look under a microscope -- pollen will look like round balls (sometimes a bit rough or spiked) while algae has some transparency to it and is shaped more like cells with some distinguishable contents.

Richard