You Ignored The Algae And Now It’s Thriving

Oh, so you “take care” of your pool? You “do everything right”? That’s adorable. Meanwhile, your pool looks like a swamp, algae creeping up the walls like it’s auditioning for a horror movie. If you’re standing there with a test strip in one hand and a sad little bottle of clarifier in the other, wondering where it all went wrong, sit down. You’re about to get the truth.

You ignored the algae. And now it’s thriving.

Here are the mistakes you made, the things you swore you were “on top of,” and the blunt fixes you need to stop pretending you don’t know.

Mistake #1: You Thought Weekly Chlorine Was Enough

You tossed in a chlorine tablet once a week, maybe two if you were feeling ambitious. You thought chlorine was magic. You thought it could handle a cannonball contest, sunscreen runoff, leaves, dirt, and all the bodily fluids kids can produce.

Well, news flash. Chlorine gets used up. Every hot day, every splash, every leaf that sinks to the bottom is sucking the life out of your chlorine level. And once it drops, algae throws itself a party.

Fix:

Test your chlorine at least twice a week, more if you’re hosting pool parties. Keep it between 1 and 3 ppm. If you see it dipping, don’t just shrug. Shock the pool and bring it back up before algae even has a chance.

Mistake #2: You Never Brushed The Walls

Oh, you vacuum? Cute. That only picks up the easy stuff. Algae loves to cling to rough surfaces, corners, steps; anywhere your vacuum won’t reach. When was the last time you grabbed a brush and actually scrubbed?

Exactly.

Fix:

Brush your pool walls, steps, and waterline at least once a week. Pretend the algae owes you money and scrub like your deposit depends on it. This loosens up colonies before they can settle in and stain.

Mistake #3: You Trusted The Test Strips Like They’re Gospel

Those cheap test strips? They lie to you. Or at least they don’t tell you the whole story. You’ve been squinting at faint pinks and barely-there blues and saying, “Close enough.” Meanwhile, your pH is climbing, your alkalinity is off, and your chlorine can’t work right because the chemistry is trash.

Fix:

Invest in a proper drop test kit or take a water sample to a pool store every now and then. Don’t just settle for “it looks about okay.” Numbers matter. Aim for pH around 7.4 to 7.6, alkalinity 80 to 120 ppm, and calcium hardness around 200 to 400 ppm.

Mistake #4: You Didn’t Clean The Filter

You backwashed once or twice a month and thought that was enough. Cute again. Backwashing does not replace actually opening the filter, pulling out the cartridges or grids, and scrubbing them clean. And a dirty filter means water just circulates debris and nutrients, exactly what algae loves.

Fix:

Deep clean your filter at least every three months. Don’t just backwash and walk away. Disassemble it and hose everything down until the water runs clean.

Mistake #5: You Waited Too Long To Shock

You noticed the water was getting a little cloudy. You noticed a faint green tinge. And instead of acting right away, you told yourself, “It’s fine. I’ll deal with it later.” That’s exactly when algae called its friends and started redecorating your pool in fifty shades of green.

Fix:

At the first sign of cloudiness, shock the pool. Don’t wait. Don’t hope it clears on its own. Slam it with a strong dose of shock and brush everything.

But Wait, There’s More

Maybe you’re thinking, “But I did all that.” No you didn’t. If you had, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But here are a few bonus sins you might have committed that let the algae waltz in and take over:

• You didn’t run the pump long enough. That water needs to circulate at least 8 hours a day to keep dead zones from forming.
• You skipped cleaning behind ladders and under steps. Algae loves hiding in places you pretend don’t exist.
• You ignored your pool cover. Covers can hold algae and dump it right back in when you remove them.
• You relied on rainwater to fill the pool without checking how it messed with your balance.

Every little shortcut is a tiny invitation to algae. And algae never misses an invitation.

The Algae Takeover: What Now?

Alright, so you messed up. Your pool looks like a salad bar and you’re ready to fix it. Here’s your recovery plan:

1. Test everything. Chlorine, pH, alkalinity, stabilizer. Get actual numbers, not guesses.
2. Brush like you mean it. Every surface. Even the ones you think don’t matter.
3. Shock hard. Like, triple shock if you need to. Don’t skimp.
4. Run the pump nonstop. Yes, 24 hours if you have to, until the water clears.
5. Vacuum dead algae. Don’t just let it settle. Clean it out of the pool and filter.
6. Clean the filter. Again. After all this mess, it deserves a proper cleaning.

Your pool is not just some giant outdoor bathtub you occasionally glance at while sipping iced tea. It’s a delicate system that needs actual work. If you ignore algae, it doesn’t just go away. It multiplies, thrives, and makes you look like you’ve never owned a pool in your life.

So stop pretending your lazy habits are enough. Put down the clarifier, pick up a brush, test your water, and act like you care. Your pool deserves better. And honestly, so do you.

Now get to work. And don’t let me catch you letting algae win again.