- The most common algae found in swimming pools is green algae. Generally, green alga appears in the water after the water starts looking hazy. The haze is the result of improper sanitation or filtration. Green algae floats in the water and will adhere to the walls and steps of the pool. Adding shock to the pool water during the night and adding polymeric algaecide the next day are the first steps to clearing green algae.
It is necessary to brushing the walls, floors, vacuuming the pool and backwash the pool filter. Adjust the pH to 7.2 ppm before starting the algae treatment. It usually takes only three days to clear green algae. - Mustard alga is less of a problem in pools, but it can crop up. When mustard alga is present, it takes more time to clear. Yellow algae, as it is sometimes called, forms on shady sides of the pool and can be troublesome to fight. Re-infection occurs when the pool is not treated correctly, along with the pump and equipment. Treat the algae by shocking the pool at night and adding metallic algaecide the next day.
Keep all pool equipment and pool toys in the pool so these items can be cleansed of mustard alga spores during the treatment. Brush, vacuum, backwash and add chemicals repeatedly until the water clears. After the water is clear of mustard algae, which can take as long as seven to eight days, add a metal sequestering agent to the water to remove the copper in the pool from the metallic algaecide. - Black alga is rare in swimming pools, but when pools are not properly cared for, the pool can develop black algae, which requires extensive care to clear. Black alga appears to look greenish-blue or all black. The alga roots attach to the walls in the pool and are hard to scrape away. Scrub pool walls and floor with a hard bristle brush to break the alga loose.
Add metal algaecide and shock to the pool water. Continue brushing the walls and floor, vacuuming, backwashing and adding chemicals daily until the black algae clears from the pool, which takes up to 10 days. After the water is clear, add a metal sequestering agent to the water to remove the copper in the pool from the metallic algaecide. - Pink slime is not an alga, but many people call it pink algae. Pink slime grows in crevices and corners of the pool. It looks like streaks or spots and rarely spreads throughout the pool. Use a pool brush to loosen the pink slime from crevices and corners. After the pink slime is loose, add chlorine shock to the pool water at 2 lbs. per 10,000 gallons of water in the pool.
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