What Causes Black Algae In Pool

It is also imperative that you scrub any tile that your pool might have because algae spores can hide in the grout of the tile as well as on the tile itself.

What causes black algae in pool. If there s only a small amount of black algae in the pool you can probably get away with backwashing your pool filter for sand or de filters or rinsing the filter cartridge. And it s hard to get rid of because its roots grow into cracks in the cement and don t like to let go. Their roots extend into the pool plaster or tile grout and unless the roots are destroyed a new head will grow back in the same place. If you ve recently swam in a lake or ocean or any other natural body of water then you re at risk of brining black algae into a swimming pool.

Why is algae in the pool or what causes algae to grow. This algae may appear black in the pool but when you retrieve a sample and rub it on a piece of white paper you ll notice a greenish tinge. If the algae problem is extensive use a filter cleaner rather than just plain water. Brush daily for a week with the proper brush for your pool paying special attention to algae affected areas.

A few samples are shown below. If you have black algae in your pool you have black algae in your filter. Cyanobacteria algae occurs naturally and is contained in nearly all soil and plant debris. It s related to spirulina another type of blue green algae and to red algae which also grows in swimming pools.

Black algae will appear as dark black or blue green spots usually the size of a pencil eraser tip up to the size of a quarter. Black algae has a tendency to latch onto the sides of your pool as well so scrubbing the algae away is an effective removal method. The protective layer that forms on black algae makes the algae otherwise impervious to regular sanitizers so you must brush the algae to break through this layer so that chlorine and algaecides can kill the organism. In short algae are always in the pool and can bloom into a visible colony when conditions are right.

It s an example of a cyanobacterium. From bathing suits to furry canine friends transferring the algae is easier than you realise. Black algae is the common name or term given to the dark blue green algae found growing on pool surfaces. What actually causes black algae to surface.

Black algae are living growing organisms that unless taken care of quickly can overtake your pool and cause severe structural damage. The heads also contain protective layers to keep cell destroying algae treatment. Black algae grows in localized areas such as along one wall in the deep end in a corner or around obstacles such as steps indicates an area of poor circulation and poor sanitization. Algae spores can also blow into the pool or can even be introduced by contaminated ocean swimwear.

It usually appears on the pool surface as isolated black spots dark circular patterns or blotchy black patches.