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Well basically right now my pool isn't being swam in and the pool is really filthy green mess everywhere and I was wondering if it was possible to clean the pool with algae eaters if so would it take lots of them or could just a few have the pool clean by summer time. This is like a 5 feet pool? it's not that big its like one of the nice size ones you can get from sams club.
todaly, most pools use chlorine to sanitize them. Most pool chlorine is basically bleach with additives. You are better off using pool shock than household bleach. I shock my pool ever week when it is being used or when temperatures are above 80F. When it is cold and not my pool isn't being used I go 2-3 weeks between shocking.
Some people I know maintain their pool all winter while other people I know just let it go then spend weeks and hundreds of dollars having their local pool service re-open it in spring.
If you understand how to maintain your pool than it is easier to maintain it throughout the winter IMHO.
You need to run your pump a certain number of hours/day even when nobody is swimming in it. Do you clean the leaves, flowers, acorns, etc. that fall into the pool? Vegetataion in the pool provide nitrogen and phosphates to feed alge. Even when you are not swimming you need to spend some time every day getting leaves and stuff out of the pool.
Do take a sample of water to your pool store to check the level of chlorine, phosphates, etc. They will tell you what you need.
Since you have let your pool go it will be more work to abate the alge. You will need scrub the alge off the pool and use algecide and probably something to consume the phosphates. Make sure your filter is moving water. If you have a cartridge filter you may need to clean or replace your cartridge. If you have a sand or diatamcious earth filter you may need to backwash it. Note that if you have a D.E. filter you will have to recharge it with D.E. after backwashing.
Laundry bleach and pool chlorine basically do the same thing. They use chlorine to oxidise things you don't want. Stains in the case or laundry detergent and bacteria, fungus, and pool stains in the case of pool chlorine.
Standard household bleach is sodium hypochlorite while pool shock is usually calcium hypochlorite. Calcium hypochlorite does have greater available chlorine than sodium hypochlorite.
You are right to call me on this because pool chlorine is much more concentrated than laundry bleach and not a reasonable substitute. I do know from experience that pool chlorine will bleach clothes. My wife is never amused when I ruin clothes while working on our pool.
LMAO! Fish will not do the job. You need to maintain the pool chemistry. If it were my pool, I'd shut the pump off for a few days and dump a gallon of bleach in (bleach is really bad for equipment for a few days until it oxidizes, but if the pump isn't running, it won't get to the equipment)...repeating if necessary. Once the algae is gone, then bring some water to a pool store and ask what you need to rebalance.
Where are you going to put the fish after you want the pool back? I doubt algae eaters are going to do a job good enough for your standards. Plus, they poo too, so you'll have to clean that out when you need your pool back. It's not a very big pool, so just suck it up, arm yourself with a long cleaning brush, and clean it yourself.
Okay thanks for the advice more advice would be great. Also some of the algae eaters eat poop and basically every other thing that would get in the pool haha. Also we don't need the pool right now since its about to get cold and all ,,, I just wanted to experiment with some algae eaters and see how clean they could get the pool.
Most pool chlorine is basically bleach with additives
I beg to differ... pool chlorine has WAY more available chlorine, and significantly less inert ingredients than bleach.
janitor fish...we have here.. it varies in sizes
Fillet knows his stuff,, impressive!!!
how will the fish live in chlorine?
