Green Algae

[Guest]

Hi All,

I just found your wonderful forum, and was hoping someone can help rip my pool of this green algae.

I have a 'dropper test' that I can do for some info. Which do you need to diagnose where the chemicals are currently at?

I'm in Australia and have a 44000L in-ground Saltwater fiberglass pool.

[Pilkojr]

Sorry...thought I was logged in.

The above post is from me.

[chem geek]

Read this link in the Pool School at Trouble Free Pool for more info on clearing your pool of algae.

Since you have a saltwater chlorine generator (SWG) pool, you must have had a low Free Chlorine (FC) level relative to the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level. In an SWG pool, you want an FC level to be at least 5% of the CYA level. The standard industry recommendation of 1-3 ppm FC with 60-80 ppm CYA is not sufficient to prevent algae unless you use a supplemental algaecide or are lucky with low nutrient (phosphate, nitrate) water.

If your current test kit does not have a FAS-DPD chlorine test kit or does not have tests for Free Chlorine (FC), Combined Chlorine (CC), pH, Total Alkalinity (TA), Calcium Hardness (CH) and Cyanuric Acid (CYA), then you need to get a good test kit. Either get the Taylor K-2006 for a good online price here (if you can't find one in Australia) or the TF100 kit from tftestkits(dot)com here with the latter kit having 36% more volume of reagents so is comparably priced "per test".

Richard

[Pilkojr]

I will check my kit, and see what tests it actually does.

[Pilkojr]

My kit does a 'Free Chlorine Test (using DPD tablets)', 'pH Test', Acid Demand Test, Total Alkalinity test.

[chem geek]

You need a better test kit -- one with a FAS-DPD chlorine test as described here and also need a Calcium Hardness (CH) test and a Cyanuric Acid (CYA) test. If you have a reliable pool store, they can do these other tests BUT many pool stores do not do the tests correctly or reliably.

[Pilkojr]

I'll get a test done at the pool shop down the road (try to avoid their sales pitch) and post the results.

[Pilkojr]

I got the test done, but their print out they gave me doesn't have the chemical results on it, only what I should be putting in.

I was told to put;
20L of liquid Chlorine
1L Aglaecide
2kg of Stabilizer (Cyanuric Acid)
1L Hydracloric Acid

[chem geek]

Do a Goggle search of "Australia chlorine test" and you'll come up with some OK test kits including ones shown here. I couldn't find any FAS-DPD chlorine test, but at least there are test kits for other water parameters including pH, TA and CYA. I didn't see any for Calcium Hardness (CH).

[Pilkojr]

I have email the website regarding the test kit.

Pool is now green algae free, but is cloudy still. Any ideas?

[chem geek]

Chlorine alone can clear the pool as shown in this thread, but you can use a flocculant such as OMNI Liquid Floc Plus to accelerate the process at extra cost. You should only use this if you have a way to vacuum to waste since this will consolidate the cloudy particles to the bottom of the pool.

You might want to post toTrouble Free Pool and shout out to fellow Aussies I've seen on that forum to see where they get their test kits and other products.