Thank you for your reply. The salt readings were at 2800 for 9/21 and were at 3300 on 9/24. We try to keep the salt between 2700-3300 per manufacturers directions. OUr chlorine was significantly low but I suspect it was because we did not run the swg for a few days prior to some rain (not the smartest thing to do). I had read from several posts to use household bleach unscented instead of the shock granules i purchased to clear the algae-- the shock worked but at $5 a bag and then all the additional chemicals I was needed, Iwas wondering if this would work the same. Chlorine is fine now and within range. I took my water to be tested again and apparently I needed a ph decreaser and calcium which they tried to sell me. I purchased the decreaser and came to do more reserach. Went to a different pool store and she said I would need to raise my alkalinity before decreasing my ph since the ph decreaser would lower the alkalinity (we were on the low side of ok for alkalinity at that time). It was getting very frustrating to me because everything they told me to do then affected another reading and I would have to then purchase soemthing else and so on and so on. Now all is in balance.... except the calcium I was at 156 at least reading at pool and they said I need to be at 200 minumum but what I read online indicates a calcium level of 100 would be fine for vinyl pools. So now I am concerned that if I put more calcium in, then something else with become off balance... so now my question is do I need to raise the calcium level prior to closing the pool for the winter... and if so, will it affect any other levels? Additionally, the pool store informed me I would need to put 2 bag of the shock and a bottle of algaecide and run it for 24 hours before finally closing the pool up... is this accurate? also do I need my salt/salinity levels to be at a certain number before closing the pool?