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Hi all, New to this forum. First post. I installed a 6000 gallon pool in my garden a few weeks ago. So im new to the world of pools also. Have been reading a lot of forums on pool chemistry. I think i understand the pool chemistry now. So i will tell a story and please correct me when im wrong, or feel free to add things if i left them out. So... Istalled 6000 gallon above-ground pool couple of weeks ago. Filled with tap water. Bought shock (unknown white powder ) from local pool guy and added to pool. Adding 2 tabs of stabilised chlorine and replacing when dissolved (about once a week). At first pH, chlorine and total alkalinity were fine. Then after a few weeks, the pH and TA were dropping, so I added sodium bicarbonate to pool until pH was around 7.5 and the TA was in the right zone (on the test strips). So i guess the chlorine tabs were dropping the pH of my unbuffered pool. Now I will keep using the chlorine tabs until the optimal level of stabiliser is reached in the pool. Now that my pool is buffered with the sodium bicarbonate, the pH should stay more or less level when using chlorine tablets. When the optimal level of stabiliser is reached, i will stop using the stabilised chlorine tablets and switch over to household bleach (without additives). This will increase my pH over time so will need to adjust with hydrochloric acid once in a while. Will the stabiliser in my pool (from the tabs) still be stabilising the chlorine (from the household bleach ) im now adding ? After a while, due to water loss (kids splashing etc), the stabiliser levels will be sub-optimal again, and i will need to use stabilised chlorine tabs again until stabiliser levels are ok, then switch over to household bleach again, etc, etc. The only thing that would be accumulating in my pool (besides mierals from dust) would be sodium ions. Is this a problem? Did i learn well from the pool forums? Thanks in advance, Tim