Algae play a fundamental role in aquatic life as single-celled plants. However, in swimming pools they become a nuisance, since it is the first obstacle to having clean and transparent water. Locating the different types of swimming pool algae is interesting to know how they act and the state of our water.
However, the more than 20,000 species of algae that exist will not all be in our pool, we will summarize them by the main ones.
In a swimming pool, algae are those threadlike green, brown, yellow, black, or pink structures that float in the water or are located on the steps and corners of the pool.
Most of them are exposed to several hours of sunlight per day, and it is undoubtedly the light that accelerates the development process of algae, since most of them are photosynthetic.
If you notice an increase in the development of these algae, the first thing to do is to increase the activity of the pump and to purify for more hours, especially in the middle of the day. This way, you will notice how much of the greenery in your pool is gradually being lost.
Analyze the water and control the pH, where you may need to add more salt or chlorine, depending on the type of pool you have.
In this article, we explain how to identify and eliminate certain types of pool algae.
read more: Home remedies for green pool water
Contents
Types of Pool Algae and General Recommendations
Green algae (most common)
Green algae (chlorophyte group) form a viscous substance that can be found floating on the surface of many swimming pools. The first symptoms appear on the corners or on the steps themselves. It is at this stage that you must act quickly to prevent the problem from getting worse. Under light conditions, algae grow extremely rapidly.
Brushing the area will prevent them from clumping together, but with this method we are not going to eliminate them. To remove them from our pool we need to do what is called superchlorination or a shock treatment, increasing the concentration of the algaecide.
Regular maintenance of your pool during swimming season is essential to prevent an outbreak of green algae production.
read more: Can it be irrigated with pool water?
yellow algae (Pheophyta)
Yellow algae is commonly referred to as “mustard algae” due to its mixed color of yellow and brown. In the swimming pool, their propagation is slower than that of green algae, but they are more difficult to eliminate.
Like the previous case, the yellow algae develop according to the same pattern, locating them floating, on the walls or on the steps, mainly.
As with green algae, brushing will not be very effective in removing it, but it will remove the top mucilaginous layer of this algae. Super chlorination and regular maintenance will help remove yellow algae from the pool.
Black or blue-green algae
Black and blue-green algae are different groups of algae.
This type of algae prefers the flat water of lakes and ponds, but in some cases it can also find a place in your swimming pool, especially if you do not give it enough maintenance or if the purification does not work during the recommended number of hours.
Black algae are the most complicated to eliminate and a real torture for pool maintenance experts.
And it is that, unlike green or yellow algae, black algae does not have the outer layer of slime, which acts as a protective barrier for the algae below. Black algae penetrates deep into hard surfaces, such as plaster and concrete, making it extremely difficult to remove..
At first, a kind of black dots appear which quickly proliferate and spread throughout the pool. If you detect it early, use a stainless steel tipped brush and brush away the stains, then superchlorinate and completely eliminate the growth of this type of algae.
pink seaweed
The pink algae appear forming a sort of reddish or orange slime that floats throughout the pool. They can also be found clumped in pipes and other plastic pool parts.
Of all the types of pool algae, pink algae is the easiest to remove. With a simple brushing and good disinfectant maintenance of the pool, it is rare to find it in your bathing area.
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