Mustard algae?
Question:how do you get rid of stubbern mustard algae in your swimming pool, it keeps cumming back.
Answers:
I gave nick a thumbs down mainly because of the mention on draining the pool. You should NEVER drain an above ground pool that isn't designed to be removed every season (inflatable easy set style) as you risk ruining the liner and having to replace it.
The most effective way to remove and retard mustard algae is to use polyquat in the water and maintain free/total chlorine levels between 3-5ppm at all times.
Polyquat is an algaecide that is sold under numerous brand names but is manufactured by only one company here in the states. This means that all the polyquat sold is the exact same chemical, just priced differently, packaged differently, or diluted to various degrees. One of the brand names is HTH Super Algaecide 60 or look for any product that is "Algaecide 60". It's sold in 10%, 30%, and 60% concentrations so pick up only the 60% concentration as there's no need to spend money on diluted forms. Check the ingredients list of the bottle and if it says
poly [oxyethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene dichloride] then it is polyquat. Add in half again as much as the recommended amount.
Depending on the gallon size of the pool you will want to add in 1 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax per 5,000 gallons of pool water. You can find this in the laundry detergent isle of your grocery store in a green box for about $3-5. The tetraborate degrades the cell walls of algae allowing the chlorine to work more effectively. Combined with the polyquat these two chemicals reside in the water and are the best preventative measure against algae blooms next to higher chlorine levels.
Ensure there's no leakage of water from soil etc, with nutrients in it, that algae need to grow off.
Algae also need sunlight to grow, so shading helps, though not trees that will drop debris, such as leaves. Perhaps you could use a cover.
If you drain the pool, treat with some bleach that won't affect your pool surface. This kills all algae.
Also ensure your filtures are working well, and that you have got the correct additives for the water, which will kill living stuff. Chlorine kills algae too.
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