You're so funny!

About the CYA test, the more water you pour into the comparison vial, the lower your CYA is. So, at 40 I saw no dot - at 50 I could make it out if my life depended on it.

I didn't let it sit 3 mins. Just followed directions and shook for 30 seconds. I'll do another CYA with the 3 min-wait. Lordy I hope it's not 100! We have iron like the Navy! Would hate to battle THAT again!

With TA - I added 3 more drops - no change. I'll add more next time (too dark outside now).

Just did new FC/CC (flashlight). FC=15.5/CC=4 (added another # 52% cal hypo - will check before bed in 1 hr - is that sufficient? one hour after adding)

Homemade iron filter is described under Metals forum from "New Pool Owner with High Iron Manually Removing Iron" - but I'll save you the trouble of reading it all.

Opened pool, previous owner left 1.5' of water, we filled with well - it's FREE (knowing there was iron - but not knowing it would muck up a pool). Hired someone to come show us how to open/operate a pool. She shocked. Swimming pool-turned-cesspool. Didn't know about Pool Forum. Went to Pool store. Bought $140 in sequestrants. Got pool clear with green tinge (residual iron). Followed advice on PF and sanitized with 6 gals of bleach. Opaque brown again. Ready to tear it down (seriously)!!!!!! Made a homemade filter out of FreshStep cat litter bucket with lid. Drilled holes all over bucket (if you use this idea, don't drill holes in bottom like we did). Get a sump pump. Take a short section of hose (12-16") with an end that will fit snugly on the output of the pump (we used a section of our pool vac. The hose comes in short sections). Fill your bucket with quilt batting. I got it from Walmart in the craft section. It is packaged similarly to your Sunday paper on a rainy day - and looks similar, where it's rolled. When you open the package, take the batting out and unravel it It spreads out like a queen-sized blanket. Bunch it up and 'swirl' it around your bucket. Then make a well in the center. Make a hole in the lid of your cat litter bucket (we cut an X and pushed down the sides). Now force the other end of the hose that's on your sump pump into the lid of the bucket. Put the lid back on the bucket (make sure it's tight). Lower both into the pool - turn the pump on and let it run for at least 12 hours (no matter how brown your water is). It captures all particulate iron (even when your pool looks clear, it continues to collect iron). We had to run it for 72 hours. Hosed down the batting every 12 hrs and backwashed the sand filter when required (when output was weak). We hung the batting over the side of the deck to clean Start cleaning at the top of the batting, and you can see the iron run through the batting, easily out the bottom. It's crazy! Someone else read my post and used it and rallied for it as well. SO much easier than sequestrants - they're NOT cheap! $20/quart and I needed 6 to start, not to mention every time I have to fill or shock. No thanks.