Yellow Mustard Algae Treatment
My pool needs a yellow mustard algae treatment. I don’t know when it first showed up. But there was a small patch in the usual place for mustard algae to show up. You know the place, north-facing on a wall. So I did the normal maintenance thing I brushed it down and made sure my pH was in range and shocked the pool. So a week later it’s back. Same treatment brush and shock. Same results a week later. But this time it’s in the usual place and also in a new location.
Yellow mustard algae on walls and bench
Mustard algae resistance
I’m in denial. My pool wouldn’t do this to me. But it did, so it’s time to get tough with this algae and send it packing. Mustard algae likes to attach itself to pool walls and other items, this is a problem because it can survive outside of the pool. It can piggyback on toys, floats, and even your bathing suits from pool to pool. Since mustard algae is resistant to chlorine it’s almost like fighting black algae. But definitely easier to get rid of than black algae.
Step by step yellow mustard algae treatment
- Clean your filter. If you have a sand filter deep clean it.
- Test and balance your pool water.
- Make sure to also check for phosphate levels in the water. Add a phosphate reducer if needed.
- Brush the mustard algae.
- Triple-shock your swimming pool as the first punch in this treatment.
- Brush(use a stainless steel algae brush) your pool every day for the next five days.
- Soak all your pool equipment(brushes, hoses, vacuums, poles, etc.) in the shallow end or on a step or pool bench for those same five days.
- Add copper algaecide(optional) as a second punch to ridding the mustard algae.
- Clean your filter again to remove any surviving algae inside the filter.
Get ready for a mustard treatment
Clean the pool filter. You’re going to clean the filter to make sure that the filtration and water flow is at it’s best. If you have a sand filter perform a deep cleaning of the sand filter. After you have cleaned the filter it’s time to test and balance the pool. Test the water and get the pH into the lower part of its range. The introduction of the shock later will drive the pH towards the higher part of its range.
Phosphates
Phosphates are food for algae. We’re going to put them on a starvation diet by lowering the phosphate levels. Check for phosphate levels of the pool water and get them into the recommended range of 100-125 ppb(parts per billion). Why? Three reasons why. One, the lower the level of phosphates the lower level of chlorine that is needed. The shock treatment will be more effective with lower levels of phosphates. Two, the algae will have less food to feast on. Third, the lower the levels of phosphate, the lower the chance of a reoccurring algae bloom.
Caution Rant Box coming out
I do use a phosphate remover. But I don’t use it on a weekly basis as suggested by this video. I have my water tested for phosphates and I do adjust the level at the beginning of the pool season. Since I started using it I have noticed that with lower levels of phosphates it is a lot easier to keep my pool algae free. I didn’t use it at the beginning of this pool season and got myself into this problem. I definitely would use it for a problem like this mustard algae bloom. Ok, ok, I am putting away the rant box.
Things to do inside the pool
Ok, it’s time to brush the entire pool, not just the mustard spots. You will be brushing the pool with a stainless steel algae brush for the next five days, brush at least once a day(mandatory) and if you feel energetic twice a day(optional).
The intent is to dislodge as much of the algae as possible on the first day. The other four days of brushing are to discourage any algae that try to grow back so the chlorine can work on these uninvited pool guests. In my case, I could see the yellow mustard algae still trying to grow back on the third day of brushing. I started brushing twice a day after I noticed the mustard algae trying to grow back. I brushed early in the morning and again before sunset.
Every day the algae spots became smaller until they didn’t regrow. I also found that the smallest of my stainless steel brushes(five inches wide) was really effective over the full-width brush when the algae spots became smaller.
A special shock treatment
You are going to shock the pool. This will not be a normal shock treatment. If you use 2-3 bags of shock for a normal shock treatment you will need to triple the dosage. Yes, you read it right. Triple the dosage 6-9 bags of shock for the dose of this special shock treatment. The pool water is going to be toxic to the algae and swimmers for the next several days. So close the pool to swimmers.
Store all pool brushes, poles, nets, hoses, and vacuums(anything that’s been in the water) in the shallow end of the pool for the next five days. No hitchhiking algae are allowed to escape. I stored all my pool equipment on the steps and benches in the shallow end of the pool for the next five days.
Pool equipment soaking in the shallow end
This next step is optional. I executed a second attack on the innocent yellow mustard algae by using a regular dose of copper-based algaecide after the five days of brushing were over.
Things to do outside the pool
On the sixth day after the initial treatment clean your filter again of any dead algae.
You are going to need to do laundry to kill off any mustard algae clinging to life on the fabric of your swimsuits. Use regular bleach or color-safe bleach, as appropriate, for added peace of mind.
Clean your toys
Use a clean cloth and a chlorine-based cleaner on all your pool toys and other accessories giving them a thorough wipe-down. Don’t use straight bleach it can damage some plastics and rubber items. If you want to make your own chlorine-based cleaner, mix one-part bleach to ten parts of water and use in a spray bottle.
Conclusion
My pool has returned to its usual condition. The water is clear and sparkling with no traces of yellow mustard algae thanks to the yellow mustard algae treatment.
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(Mybusyretiredlife.com All Rights Reserved)
(Mybusyretiredlife.com All Rights Reserved)
