Can Red Algae "kill" An Ozone Generator?

[Max01]

Hello,

Today my 2 months old water (in the spa) is clear again, the PH is around 7,5, the FC is 1-2ppm. We have been on holidays (for 2 weeks) and when we come back the ozone generator didn't work (no bubbles come out) and the water was cloudy because the FC was around 0. So I shocked the water and now it's clear again but now I have got red algae in my spa. It's not directly in the water, it's outside! On the pillow and around the buttons there are spots and streaks which are thin, red and slimy .

I have read it's not really an algae at all, but a form of bacteria. Is that true? Do I have red algae or red bacteria? Is there a difference at all?

I called a friend of mine and told him about the red algae problem and that the ozone generator didn't "bubble". He is not sure why ozone generator stopped working but he thinks that the red algae could have caused a problem with the tubes which are plugged into the ozone generator. He thinks that not enough water or air can come through the tube to the ozone generator. But he is not sure what to do.

Can red algae/ bacteria really cause a problem like this with an ozone generator (corona discharge)? (The water is clear again.)

Thanks in advance!!!!

Max

EDIT: I bought the ozone generator 2 months ago and it worked fine the whole time.

[chem geek]

Red algae, aka pink algae or pink slime or red slime algae, is actually a cyanobacteria (a bacteria that can photosynthesize so uses light for energy similar to a plant). It is normally a salt water bacteria that was probably brought into your spa via a swimsuit (of if near the ocean, then salt spray).

As for control, what are you doing for sanitation? Are you still using AquaBrome Spa and AquaBrome Regenerator? Have you been testing your bromine levels regularly? As for killing existing bacteria on surfaces, a dilute bleach solution will do that, but you obviously need to be careful not to bleach out fabric so test first in a spot that isn't visible. You can try a 100:1 (roughly 650 ppm) dilute bleach solution to start with though that will require more rubbing and contact time.

If there is sanitizer consistently in the tub water, then I doubt that this red algae is in the water feeder tubes to the ozonator, but it could be in the air feeder or any area not exposed to sanitizer (BUT it needs to be moist for the bacteria to grow).

[Dr. Spa]

[Max01]

Thank you for your help, I much appreciate it!

I stopped using bromine tablets (aquabrome spa) because i have read that they cause low pH and low Alkalinity problems. I think that this is true because in the last 2 months I only used sodium bicarbonate to raise the pH and TA, but the TA always dropped back to 20 ppm (the water straight out the hose pipe is pH=8,4, TA:50-60ppm, CH:40ppm) Is it true that Bromine tablets lower the TA "the whole time" (24/7)? What effects do bromine tablets really have to the TA?

One week ago, I decided to switch to chlorine (dichlor granules) without changing the water. Is it allowed to switch from bromine to chlorine in general? And is it allowed to switch back or will I get problems because of the CYA in the water? So, should I use the 65% chlorine without CYA only? (Some people say switching in general is allowed some say it isn't. What is true? )

Maybe I don't have a red algae in my spa but a biofilm!? I have read an interesting article which says that if you have a biofilm in your spa and super-chlorinate the water then you will get red spots and streaks which are dead bacteria ("dead biofilm"). This dead bacteria look exactly like red algae. Can I really have a red "dead" biofilm? (I super-chlorinated the water after we came back from holidays because the FC was 0 and got the red spots and streaks.)

Sorry for all that questions!!! I am a bit confused.

greetings, Max

EDIT: I forgot, we always use the same swimsuit and are not in an ocean area.

[chem geek]

Bromine tablets are generally acidic so over time they would lower the TA level. The pH may or may not drop depending on how much carbon dioxide outgassing occurs, though as the TA gets lower the pH is more likely to drop.

If you don't change the water when switching from bromine to chlorine, then you didn't really change to chlorine because the chlorine will just reactivate bromide back to bromine. That is, once a bromine spa, always a bromine spa until you change the water. You can switch from chlorine to bromine at any time and the CYA won't matter to the bromine (CYA only affects chlorine).

I don't know if dead biofilm can look like red algae. You can always use something stronger for biofilms such as Spa System Flush instead of just superchlorinating.