Pool Algae Types
The first step is understanding which kind of algae has taken up residence in your tank. There are literally thousands of pool algae variants, but we classify pool algae according to color for our purposes. The majority of pool algaecides would have an effect on most forms of pool algae, but some treatments are manufactured specifically to combat particular pool algae strains.
WHAT ARE ALGAE?
Algae are a diverse group of aquatic organisms capable, by photosynthesis, of producing oxygen.
Although algae are technically not plants, animals or fungi, since they contain chloroplasts and undergo photosynthesis, algae are commonly referred to as plants.
That said the other usual features of plants are missing from algae: stems, leaves and roots. Typically they are single-celled species called diatoms), but there are multi-celled forms like kelp and other seaweeds.
Algae, specifically blue-green algae and black algae, are also called cyanobacteria.
These species are not plants, nor are they fungi or animals. They only have certain comparisons with other types of algae. Namely, cyanobacteria are both photosynthetic and aquatic. They just look and behave similarly to algae in water, beyond that.
In microbiology, most habitats are considered beneficial to algae. They create oxygen and can help clean water as well.
At some stage, however, when there is an overabundance of nutrients for algal growth, there could be a problem called eutrophication, which means that algae can overwhelm the water body.
This algae overabundance inevitably starves out all life, including fish and other plants as well. So algae, up to a certain extent, is beneficial.
Swimming pools are treated, unlike natural ponds, lakes and streams, to prevent microorganisms from developing and reproducing.
In order to prevent algae from growing, swimming pools and fountains have circulation and filtration systems and use a primary residual sanitizer (like chlorine).
An excellent algaecide is the killing form of chlorine in water, Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl). The forms of algae that we find in swimming pools are therefore especially robust and chlorine-resilient.
In a warm swimming pool, there are typically plenty of nutrients for these tough types of algae to grow rapidly.
And as long as the amount of chlorine is sufficiently reduced to not keep up with the rate of algae growth, an outbreak may occur. It has already reproduced several times from a single-cell organism by the time you see algae to the point that you can see it with the naked eye.
It can rapidly replicate itself at that point and take over a lake.
Yellow: Mustard Algae
(Xanthophyceae), a class of about 600 algae species belonging to the Chromophyta division, most of which live in fresh water.
It also has a greenish-yellow tint, called Mustard Algae, and sticks itself to crevices and prefers shady spots in the pool. Yellow algae, unless your pool surface is really pitted and etched, appears to brush off quickly. It can effectively cover itself away from direct contact with your chemicals and pool brush in positions deep in the skimmer or in your filter.
TREATMENT
A Chlorine Enhancer, such as Yellow Out is the favored way to combat Mustard algae. You will increase the pH to 7.8, boost the chlorine to 2-3 ppm, and add Yellow Out, followed by a calculated dose of granular pool shock, following the instructions. Thoroughly clean the pool and then allow the algae to fall to the bottom where the dead cells can be vacuumed and dust can shock into the filter. Vacuum the debris out of the device by using the waste setting if you have a multiport valve.
Now if you want to remove the yellow algae in your tub, the next steps are really important. Wash all the swimsuits with bleach on a long, very hot period. In a trash can with a strong bleach solution, put skimmer nets, brushes, vacuum heads, etc you can use dissolved pool shock) or uninstall them if they are worn excessively. Do the same during the algae bloom for any pool floats or pool toys that have come into contact with the water.
Finally, substitute or thoroughly clean filter media, particularly for large blooms of yellow algae. It is possible to remove DE grids and filter cartridges and soak them in a big can full of bleach solution, or substitute them if they are of a certain era. If you have a sand filter, the sand filter should be updated.
Green Algae
Chlorophyceae of the plant (Viridiplantae) kingdom’s Chlorophyta division. The Oocystis genus is a typical common green algae discovered in pools.
Asexual and azosporic is the sole form of reproduction. The material of the cell is often divided into 2,4 (B), 8(C) daughter protoplasts. Each daughter rounds off the protoplast to form a non-motile spore. The rupture of the parent cell wall liberates these autospores (spores of the same distinctive form as the parent cell) (D). Each autospore grows to become a new individual upon release. For the division of cells, the presence of sulphur in the culture medium is considered necessary.
It takes place even in the dark with sulphur alone as the source material, but it also includes nitrogen under light conditions.
Wall clinging can be green pool algae, or it may be free floating. It can take on a greenish-blue hue at times. Green algae, the most common form of pool algae, is also one of the fastest growing. On a hot weekend, left unchecked, the bloom will take over the pool rapidly. Often it can be transparent and almost neon green-or in a gloomy, dark green hue it can show itself.
TREATMENT
Swimming pools with frequent blooms of green pool algae should be invested in the Phosphate Remover bottle. Phosphates are one of the key food sources for green algae, and they usually leave, like unwelcome visitors, when the food runs out.
Green algae can be one of the easiest types of algae to remove in intermittent blooms, or spring-time opening algae. However if your pool is really polluted with green algae, consider diluting the pool water to the point that you can’t see the floor at the shallow end. In severe cases like this by draining half of the pool water and refilling, you’ll have a simpler, cheaper cure. This is particularly true for those pools that are undersized or less than efficient with marginal filtration.
However in most circumstances, a killing dose of chlorine may be administered to smash the green algae into submission. Using a chlorine enhancer like Swamp Treat can speed up the killing power of your chlorine and make the job simpler. Second, balance the water chemistry in either case and change the pH level to 7.2. At a low pH, chlorine has much greater efficacy or control, and algae bloom at a higher pH level much more readily.
When attempting to kill algae, the greatest mistake people make when applying chlorine to the pool is actually not adding adequate chlorine. If the pool is 30,000 gallons and in an effort to destroy algae, you add 3 pounds of chlorine, then you’ve just wasted all that shock. The pool is always going to be green, and you’re going to get 3 pounds of chlorine out there. When attempting to kill algae, please make sure to hit the pool hard enough with chlorine. If the shock is just on the wall, pour the granules down the wall in isolated places.
If the algae blooms all over the lake, it appears like pea soup, then the shock spreads over the water, scattering the granules uniformly. As chlorine is much more active at a pH range of 7.2-7.4, remember to lower the pH first. Until the pool turns a blue/gray hue, keep shocking the water.
Brush, then! The other mistake individuals make is that they don’t wash enough thoroughly. It can be hard, tiring and you need a nice brush. By keeping the tiny pores of your plaster clean, and allowing your algae fighting chemicals to make close contact in these areas, weekly brushing will help prevent green algae from returning.
Black Algae
Also known as Cyanophyta, cyanobacteria are a phylum of prokaryotes consisting of both free-living photosynthetic bacteria and endosymbiotic plastids found in the autotrophic eukaryotes, Archaeplastida, which include red and green algae and land plants. Usually, they receive their energy by oxygen photosynthesis, which creates oxygen gas in the Earth’s atmosphere. Because of their colour, the name cyanobacteria was given
This is actually not an algae, but a bacterium that has no nuclei. This algae is sometimes referred to as blue-green algae, but until it is placed on a white paper where it appears blue-green, the one found in the swimming pool appears yellow.
In comparison to chlorophyll, these species have phycocyanin, which aids in photosynthesis. In the swimming pool, phormodiaceae are a common black algae.
Black algae is the most insidious strain of pool algae, setting down roots and planning to remain for a while. Left unchecked, it becomes almost difficult to handle black algae. The organism that has made a home in tiny surface irregularities is covered by large heads or “caps” on this version. The heads can be as tiny as the dot of a pencil, or as wide as a dime. You like shady areas in your pool and out of the way.
TREATMENT
For all treatments for algae, proper water balance is critical, but even more so for black algae. Particularly the pH level of your pool. Try to keep it in the 7.2 range on the low side, especially during care. If your pH level continues to increase, keep enough pH down to keep it on hand.
You will need to use a steel-bristled pool brush for the plastered pools to tear into the heads of black algae. These heads have a protective coating that prevents the chemicals in your pool from entering the body. Another solution that seems to be more effective is to get a mask and a large breath of air into the water. Scrape the heads off the wall using a pumice stone, a putty knife or a chlorine tablet.
Shake the pool with a double-dose of pool shock, or 1lb per 5000 gallons, until the heads have been knocked off. It can ensure greater effectiveness by using a chlorine enhancer, such as Yellow Out or Swamp Treat. Carefully vacuum up the algae debris and shock dust after shocking the tank. If you have a multiport valve, fill the level of the pool up high, and waste vacuum.
Ignore the advice above for yellow algae following shock treatment. Wash all the swimsuits with bleach on a long, very hot period. Place skimmer nets, brushes, vacuum heads, etc. with a strong bleach solution in a trash can or replace them if they are worn too much. Do the same during the algae bloom for any pool floats or pool toys that have come into contact with the water.
Take the ladders out and look at the ladder treads below. Soak them in a chlorine solution and wash them under pressure to eliminate any traces. Another place that algae can conceal, behind the sun, is the same as your pool light. Pull out the light and put it on the deck for good scrubbing, then take a look for any sign of algae within the light niche. With vigorous scrubbing, remove any discovered.
Finally replace or clean the filter media thoroughly. It is possible to remove DE grids and filter cartridges and soak them in a big can full of bleach solution, or substitute them if they are of a certain era. You should change the sand filter, particularly the top few inches of sand, if you have a sand filter.
After a few days, apply an initial dose of Black Algaecide to the pool until the chlorine level has fallen below 3.0 ppm. This is a copper-based algaecide that regulates black algae very effectively. The efficient treatment of black algae can also be colloidal silver algaecides. After you have delivered a good dose of chlorine directly into the cell membranes, any of these metal algaecides is a complementary and essential stage.
When black algae has taken over and your pool looks like chocolate chip ice cream, a drain and clean is recommended for serious circumstances. Drain the pool carefully and appropriately, and then wash the pool under pressure, followed by a chlorine wash. If available in your area, use standard Clorox, or liquid pool chlorine. Follow up with an acid wash if you want to take the extra step, but make sure all of the chlorine is completely rinsed and drained out of the tub.
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