Black algae pebble tech pool

[Kthien915]

Pool people !! I have a question about black algae. What’s the best way to get rid of it? With the elevated temps and increased pool temp finding it hard to keep the black algae around the ring of the pool clean and gone. All the levels are good and I shock it regularly, and brush it regularly, the pump runs 1 hr for every 10 degrees outside every day and I clean out the skimmer daily. ( I have lots of plants around the pool ). I do have pebble tech for the finish l which definitely takes more effort, any suggestions on how to rid of it and keep it gone ? Much appreciated.

 

[Mike Honcho]

get in the pool with a spray bottle filled with Murat if acid and spray the black algae directly and then splash water on it until it breaks down or try a soft brush and the acid till it dissolves.

I’m sure I’ll get the hate however had pools my entire life and current pool is 23 years old with pebble tech and rick and this has been my method for years.

 

[DarkJuJu]

SLAM it, if your CYA and Calcium is too out of wack you will need to dump your water then I would just pressure wash it. That's how I handle it In Phoenix. Your going to have to scrub the crap out of it every day as well when SLAM'ing it.

This forum is a great resource,

Forum list

Pool owners helping pool owners

www.troublefreepool.com

SLAM Process

 

[BabyRay]

Here’s a good post on managing CYA. I only have a spa, but this worked well for me. I ultimately installed a saltwater chlorine generator though, because it is even easier to manage.

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Melloyellovector]

Around the ring of the pool? As in at waterline? Do you not have tile at waterline.
regardless your best bet is actually chlorine not acid. If at waterline. Lower water level just below, use pump sprayer to apply it, should turn clear with in seconds. Other option if it’s chunky and rooted into the finish, you can use an actual chlorine tablet and scrub the spot.

Note if it’s a continuous seasonal problem, the algae is rooted below surface that you can get to. Will be a battle every year until you eventually remodel the pool.

 

[RadMan]

This stuff really stopped it for me in the hot Dallas summers

 

[joecfd1]

We had an algae bloom last week. We left Havasu on on Friday after the 4th and came back on Wednesday morning to find this. I text the pool man that I needed him here first thing Thursday morning to address this. At first they said it was excessive magnesium in the water but turned out to be algae. He sprinkled trichlor powder on the spots and started brushing the entire pool. By the next morning it was crystal clear. With pebble you really have to get agressive with the brush. I just ordered a special brush specifically for pebble.

 

[RVR_RCN]

Half a bottle 2x per year keeps it away for me, coupled with normal chemical balance.


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[Kthien915]

Around the ring of the pool? As in at waterline? Do you not have tile at waterline.
regardless your best bet is actually chlorine not acid. If at waterline. Lower water level just below, use pump sprayer to apply it, should turn clear with in seconds. Other option if it’s chunky and rooted into the finish, you can use an actual chlorine tablet and scrub the spot.

Note if it’s a continuous seasonal problem, the algae is rooted below surface that you can get to. Will be a battle every year until you eventually remodel the pool.

My pool has the pebble tech all the way up the side then an small expansion gap then the pool deck. So no tile near the top.

But I got in and got some power chlorine made a paste with some water and got a small brush and started cleaning . Took about an hour to do the entire pool. Turned out pretty good but you can still see some black algae clinging to the small pebbles. Seemed no mater how much I scrubbed it couldn’t clear all the small crevasses. When I get home from work I’ll try to do the muratic acid technique and see if that clears it better .

 

[DLow]

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but typically black algae requires a pool draining and acid wash to actually get rid of it for “good”. You can’t really do that safely right now in summer heat, but if you are able to band aid it for the next couple months, when it cools off you should look at draining and acid wash. You will be extremely lucky if you get black mold to stop its growth without going through the big process.

 

[havasuhusker]

We have a lot of greenery in and around our back yard (trees, bushes, etc.), I get the damn mustard algae. I've done everything the experts say to do, even draining my pool. I keep up on the chemicals, wash the filters often, backwash, etc.. Nothing seems to work. So, I bought this thing called Pool RX off Amazon. It works wonders for my pool. When it's working, there is no algae. When it's empty (lasts approximately 4-6 months, I start to see the mustard algae again. Rinse and Repeat.

 

[Melloyellovector]

We have a lot of greenery in and around our back yard (trees, bushes, etc.), I get the damn mustard algae. I've done everything the experts say to do, even draining my pool. I keep up on the chemicals, wash the filters often, backwash, etc.. Nothing seems to work. So, I bought this thing called Pool RX off Amazon. It works wonders for my pool. When it's working, there is no algae. When it's empty (lasts approximately 4-6 months, I start to see the mustard algae again. Rinse and Repeat.

Pool rx is meth for pools. When working yes pool looks great. But all your doing is putting a powder form of an algeacide in the pool. Copper and silver etc.. the draw back is if and when your chems get out of whack. The metals will drop out of solution and you will get purple, gray, black staining though out the pool.

 

[dirtslinger2]

My pool isn't down yet, so I don't have any real world experience yet, but that troublefreepool forum seems to have some people on there that no how to maintain a pool, a bunch of them in hot climates like phx, tx, and FL. The consensus on that forum, is that any additional chemicals are just junk and bandaids, and it's all about maintaining your FC levels, as well as CYA, CH, etc.......but they preach FC up the ass.

Id jump on there and ask.

 

[Melloyellovector]

My pool has the pebble tech all the way up the side then an small expansion gap then the pool deck. So no tile near the top.

But I got in and got some power chlorine made a paste with some water and got a small brush and started cleaning . Took about an hour to do the entire pool. Turned out pretty good but you can still see some black algae clinging to the small pebbles. Seemed no mater how much I scrubbed it couldn’t clear all the small crevasses. When I get home from work I’ll try to do the muratic acid technique and see if that clears it better .

Other thing you could do, raise the water level above algae line. Turn equipment off. Dump 4-6 gallons acid in pool let it cook for 48-72 hours. Neutralize acid. This will basically do an acid wash on pool with out draining. Once neutral. Then do 6 gallons of chlorine and add 2 more gallons after first 24 hours. Let it sit for 48 hours ish. Then just let the chlorine slowly go down. now you’ve basivally done a chlorine wash with out draining. Ok to turn equipment back on. Anything in crevices of pebble etc should basically dissolve to nearly nothing and if still visible a brush should knock anything left off. If that doesn’t work then time to call a pool guy, lol

 

[90 Laveycraft]

We have a lot of greenery in and around our back yard (trees, bushes, etc.), I get the damn mustard algae. I've done everything the experts say to do, even draining my pool. I keep up on the chemicals, wash the filters often, backwash, etc.. Nothing seems to work. So, I bought this thing called Pool RX off Amazon. It works wonders for my pool. When it's working, there is no algae. When it's empty (lasts approximately 4-6 months, I start to see the mustard algae again. Rinse and Repeat.

Exact same here!! Luv Pool RX.

 

[havasuhusker]

Pool rx is meth for pools. When working yes pool looks great. But all your doing is putting a powder form of an algeacide in the pool. Copper and silver etc.. the draw back is if and when your chems get out of whack. The metals will drop out of solution and you will get purple, gray, black staining though out the pool.

Good to know. So far, all has been good. Fingers crossed! I'm kind of at whits end on how to keep the algae away. I've had pool care companies take care of my pool and I had the same problem. So, I stopped that and started doing it myself. I keep up on the chemicals and cleaning regularly, but nothing seems to help, except the Pool Rx.

 

[rrrr]

Have I mentioned that not owning a pool after selling out and moving to the country has been quite enjoyable?

 

[EarpRider]

WOW, you folks are swimming in a shit ton of chemicals.

 

[CoolCruzin]

I have had for years .
I only put in chlorine tabs and chlorine shock.
Acid for bring down the PH.
Black algae I scraped some chlorine tabs on top of it .
Less chemicals is better but my water has never been out of whack.

 

[90 Laveycraft]

WOW, you folks are swimming in a shit ton of chemicals.

And 92 degree water...

 

[EarpRider]

And 92 degree water...

Yup, I live in Havasu also.

 

[Melloyellovector]

Note ; for pools with pebble at waterline, when you remodel add tile. Pebble at waterline is a never ending maintenance nightmare

 

[Big B Hova]

View attachment 1402734 View attachment 1402735 This stuff really stopped it for me in the hot Dallas summers

I bought a box of this at costco, my pool had been crystal clear all summer so far

 

[Mr. C]

Note ; for pools with pebble at waterline, when you remodel add tile. Pebble at waterline is a never ending maintenance nightmare

One thing I am thankful of. Our pebble starts about 2inches below the water line

 

[Warlock1]

We like to throw themed parties. We had a "To be a kid again pool party". Complete with a slip and slide and other "kid" activities. Well someone brought a piñata over that had squirt guns, glow sticks, and all kinds of dollar store type stuff. It also had silly string and then of course the adult things. Lube, condoms, beads and I don't remember what all else. Once that was broke open shit went sideways fast...hahaha. We found out that a regular sized condom when filled from the slide will measure three guys across standing side by side and get as big around as a watermelon. Condoms melt in the sunlight and have to be peeled from the cool decking. Silly string is flammable when sprayed and is a bitch to get off of stucco. Also a fully grown man can dive through the center of a childs ring if it has been lubed with astro glide. AND to keep it related to this thread, if you spill massive amounts of alcohol into your pool, you will have to drain it.

After this party we started to get black algae really bad. We tried everything to get it gone and keep it gone. Ultimately we had to drain it and have it acid washed.

We figured it was from the alcohol. The girls were all sitting on the baja shelf and we would hover over them and just pour shots right into their mouths. Sometimes they swallowed and sometimes they didn't...lol

 

[Ziggy]

We like to throw themed parties. We had a "To be a kid again pool party". Complete with a slip and slide and other "kid" activities. Well someone brought a piñata over that had squirt guns, glow sticks, and all kinds of dollar store type stuff. It also had silly string and then of course the adult things. Lube, condoms, beads and I don't remember what all else. Once that was broke open shit went sideways fast...hahaha. We found out that a regular sized condom when filled from the slide will measure three guys across standing side by side and get as big around as a watermelon. Condoms melt in the sunlight and have to be peeled from the cool decking. Silly string is flammable when sprayed and is a bitch to get off of stucco. Also a fully grown man can dive through the center of a childs ring if it has been lubed with astro glide. AND to keep it related to this thread, if you spill massive amounts of alcohol into your pool, you will have to drain it.

After this party we started to get black algae really bad. We tried everything to get it gone and keep it gone. Ultimately we had to drain it and have it acid washed.

We figured it was from the alcohol. The girls were all sitting on the baja shelf and we would hover over them and just pour shots right into their mouths. Sometimes they swallowed and sometimes they didn't...lol

Sounds like a fun day

 

[Ziggy]

How often are all the LHC pool owners changing the crappy city water in their pools? I've been doing it annually.
.
I will say, since I installed a water filter on my pool fill, algea in general has been less of an issue.

 

[Warlock1]

Sounds like a fun day

The cherry on top was that if you looked up our house on Google maps and zoomed in, you would have seen the cars parked in the cul-de-sac, the slip and slide and people all around....lol

 

[East Wood]

We had an algae bloom last week. We left Havasu on on Friday after the 4th and came back on Wednesday morning to find this. I text the pool man that I needed him here first thing Thursday morning to address this. At first they said it was excessive magnesium in the water but turned out to be algae. He sprinkled trichlor powder on the spots and started brushing the entire pool. By the next morning it was crystal clear. With pebble you really have to get agressive with the brush. I just ordered a special brush specifically for pebble.


View attachment 1402756

what brush?

 

[joecfd1]

what brush?

28" Animal Pro Pebble Brush | Oreq

www.oreqcorp.com

 

[BUDMAN]

The best way for me to combat the algae problem I had was to hire a pool guy. Thats what they do, so I let the professionals handle it. My pool always looks fresh and inviting