kathy61344 Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Hi I am new to the forum, although I had been reading alot of existing posts. I could not find much on this topic though. I had 100's of dead worms float up when I shocked the pool on opening. I got them out and thought I was headed in the right direction, water turned a blueish gray although still very cloudy. Figured there are more onthe bottom I would get when it cleared up and I vacumned. (18x36 pool ~28,000 gallons). Used 4lb. bags of shock from intheswim, algacide, clarifier. Then it started to turn green again (still cloudy) so added 3 more bags of shock. Got greener and using a dipstick that showed no FC but right amount of total chlorine. Added 8 gallons of liquid chlorine and still showing no FC and getting greener and still cloudy. Few more worms and debris floating up. Added 15 gallons of bleach (equal to about 8 more gallons liquid chlorine from what I read) still no change. Took advise of this site and got a real test kit but only had oto chloring test - showed yellow that I have chlorine - but it seems like this measures total chlorine which I already knew I had. Added 3 shock bags and the granulars itself turned a milky white and then started bubbling up and created a white film over the pool. It sucked into the filter and disappeared. Pool still green and cloudy. Read to keep shocking 3x a day - did 2 more times and each time same bubbly reaction with white film ( few more worms and debris to surface). That is ALOT of chlorine in that pool..... do I continue.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterbear Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 It doesn't matter how much total chlorine you have, the chlorine that kills algae is free chlorine Total chlorine is free chlorine and combined chlorine (chlorine that has combined with organics and is no longer active). Please post a full set of test results that are NOT done with strips for free chlorine, combined chlorine pH TA, CH and CYA and we will have a better idea what is going on However, if you cannot hold FC and the pool is green then you need to keep hammering away with chlorine. If you closed with a high CYA level and you currently don't have any then the bad news is that you might have a lot of ammonia in the water right now (certain bacteria can convert CYA to ammonia in a closed pool). Ammonia creates a huge chlorine demand and would explain the high TC reading a and the non existent FC readings you are getting. The cures is to keep shocking with bleach or liquid chlorine until the problem is resolved and realize that it can take a LOT of shocking. However, until we know how high or low your CYA level is it is impossible to say how high you need to shock to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathy61344 Posted May 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Ok tested again this morning. Don't have the Taylor kit yet but picked up an HTH. Chlorine/Bromine 5 / 10 (highest yellow) PH 6.8- lowest level Alk 160 CYA 110 hardness 340 (was suppose to turn red if hardness present but started off purple) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathy61344 Posted May 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Also, after the last 15 gallons of bleach I ran out..so I have been using the granular shock packets. That is what bubbles up and creates the white film, the bleach nor the liquid chlorine did that. It does seem like my CYA has gone up alot - I though when I tested yesterday it was only 60 but both readings today have been 110 so I am not sure if it was operator error or it increased that much over night. Or could it be because i switched to the shock packets instead of the liquid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH24 Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Also, after the last 15 gallons of bleach I ran out..so I have been using the granular shock packets. That is what bubbles up and creates the white film, the bleach nor the liquid chlorine did that. It does seem like my CYA has gone up alot - I though when I tested yesterday it was only 60 but both readings today have been 110 so I am not sure if it was operator error or it increased that much over night. Or could it be because i switched to the shock packets instead of the liquid? Isn't granular shock dichlor. If so you are adding lots of CYA. Bad idea me thinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carib swim Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 Yes, I would stop adding granular shock. Your CYA is already very high. Just use regular bleach, otherwise you CYA will go even higher. The only way to lower CYA is to empty your pool a bit and then add new water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yousawred Posted June 23, 2022 Report Share Posted June 23, 2022 I am having a similar reaction in my pool. I have an 18' round above ground pool with a sand filter. I used HTH super shock (1 packet-active ingredient is calcium hypochlorite), and about 15 oz of BioGuard Banish algae killer (active ingredient is copper) 2 days ago (per the advice of a pools and spas store clerk). I had an almost completely green algae pool bottom and the water looked like lake water. By the afternoon, the algae had cleared up and the pool water looks nice and clear again, except yesterday evening I started noticing a light film developing on the top of the water with tiny bubbles. I have backwashed and rinsed the filter a few times since the treatment and it seems to be working properly, so I am unsure what to do now. A free chlorine/bromide and five minute Total chlorine test revealed, from what I can tell, absolutely no chlorine in the water at all, and the PH test showed about 7.6-7.8. Any advice would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterbear Posted June 24, 2022 Report Share Posted June 24, 2022 add some chlorine! If your pool was green it can take a lot of chlorine to kill it. If it's not holding then it's being consumed. I would not use a copper based algaecide unless you like green hair, btw. You need to be testing for Free Chlorine and Combined Chlorine (and not with strips) What is your CYA level? If it's too low your chlorine will be destroyed by sunlight. If it's too high you will need to run higher Free Chlorine levels to keep algae at bay. IF there is more than .5 ppm combined chlorine then you need to continue shocking. Remember not to raise your chlorine higher than 12 to 15 ppm because you have a vinyl liner pool. Best bet, why don't you post a full set of test results (not done with strips) for FC, CC, pH TA, CH and CYA and we can take it from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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