Of the many types of algae that can grow in a swimming pool , opprobrious algaeis the most troublesome . It has more resistance to chlorine than other types of alga , and once it establishes itself in the pores of a concrete or gunite pond , it is very difficult to take out . Black alga usually happen its direction into the pool on the consistency or bathing suit of someone who has latterly been swim in a natural body of water supply , such as a lake or the sea . Dogs can also carry the algae into the pool on their manus or in their fur . A decently run pool filter will hit it , but if the filter has n’t been wield , the algae can quickly spring up into a job .
What Is Black Algae?
This alga may seem black in the pool , but when you retrieve a sample and rub it on a piece of bloodless report , you ’ll notice a green mite . It ’s anexample of acyanobacterium ; it ’s related to spirulina , another type of blue - green algae , and tored algae , which also grows in swim pool . None are true algae , but social class of bacteria that manufacture their own solid food by photosynthesis . They get their name from the bluish paint [ ] ( http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanolh.html ) _ phycocyanin , _ which captures the sunlight they need . Spirulina is known for its nutritive value , but the black algae you encounter in a swimming pool has no such value and is in all likelihood toxic .
Conditions for Algae Growth
Algae love dingy water system , and pool water can become dirty enough to support them if the filter is n’t doing its job — even if you conserve the right chemical balance . The alga can mature when a choked filter or skimmer basket prevents water from circulating through the filter . It can also maturate if you fail to launch the filtration organization every daylight or if the motor is defective . When the filtration organisation is n’t mold properly , the water supply can become cloudy , and that ’s the sign that conditions are correct for algae growth . Once you see black spots forming on the surface of the water , the algae has become established .
What to Do About Black Algae
Getting rid of mordant alga is n’t gentle . You ca n’t down it by only ball over the puddle water , because it constitute a coat that protect it from chlorine . Using pool seismic disturbance is part of a comprehensive redress program , but to make it cultivate , you have to scrub the algae to remove this coat . In gain , you have to backwash the filter . Here ’s a sampleremediation regime :
Things Needed
1. Clean the Filter Cartridge
If you have a DE or sand filter , backwash it and rinse it off . If you have a removable pickup , take it out and rinse it off with a garden hose .
2. Scrub the Black Spots
Use a hard - bristle thicket to scrub the alga on the pool liner , ravel and anywhere else it is growing . You ’re not actually trying to polish off it , but just removing the protective coating that keep the disinfecting chemical you ’re about to use from getting to its roots . After scrub with a brush , put on a yoke of rubber mitt and scrub each of the black spots with a chlorine tablet .
3. Shock the Pool
utilize three times the amount of atomic number 11 dichlor pool impact you would ordinarily use . So if the mailboat advocate 1 pound sterling per 10,000 gallons of H2O , utilise 3 pound sterling . If you have a light - colorise pool , you may supplement this intervention by pitter-patter coarse-grained atomic number 17 on the surface of the water near the black spots . Do n’t do this if you have a dark - colored pool , because the whitener may alter the color .
4. Add an Algaecide
5. Run the Filter
go out the filter off for 24 time of day if you have a easy - colored pool , but turn it on immediately if you have a wickedness - colored one to circulate the water and prevent the atomic number 17 from bleach out the color . Once you start the filter , permit it run from 24 to 48 hours .
6. Brush and Shock Again
If you still see black spots , sweep them again with a brush and a atomic number 17 tablet . Shock the pocket billiards again , but this time , use a normal dose . execute the pump for an additional 24 hours . proceed brushing for three to four days while the Cl levels in the pool are elevated .
Tip
You ’ll probably desire to stay out of the kitty for several days because of the grand Cl levels . It could take two workweek for the chlorine levels to give back to normal .
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