How do you clean up blue-green algae from a drainage ditch?

Answer 1

07/18/08 We have a 15 x 30 foot pool, approximately 17,000 gallons. Had green algae on the steps, bottom and sides after being away for about 2 weeks. The water was still clear but had some green slime floating also. Ugh!!! I did some online research and then took a sample to my local pool store (they provide a water container for samples). Take in about 2 cups, fill it about 1 foot down from the top of pool. To clear it up this is what the local pool store sold to me and told me what to do, along with some hints I got online, and it worked: They sold me two gallons of murietic acid and 2 packets of superchlorinator. I only used 3/4 of a gallon of the acid, and I used both packets of the superchlorinator. 1. Sweep the pool, sides, bottom, steps, etc to loosen the algae. Remove the vacuum cleaner - I was told the the algaeside will scar/eat away at the wheel runners. 2. Turn the filter on - keep it on throughout the whole process - 24 hours. 3. Add the algaecide (muriatic acid) 4 cups every three hours for a total of three times. I started at 7 am - do this during the day, not at night. So at 7 am, 11 am and 3 pm I added 4 cups each time of the myuretic acid - BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH THIS STUFF - IT IS POISON - IT SMOKES AS YOU POUR IT - DON'T BREATH THE FUMES - WITH THE CAP OFF I WALKED THRU A CLOUD OF IT WHILE I WAS POURING IT INTO THE POOL - IT BURNS, READ THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE YOU START - ITS NASTY DANGEROUS STUFF. I used a paper cup to pour it in so I could throw it away. 4. Four hours after the last pour of the algaecide, I opened the two bags of the superchlorinator they gave me (it appeared to be a chlorine powder), the bags were about 2 cups each, poured these into a bucket of water (some online directions said NEVER ADD WATER TO THE CHLORINATOR, ALWAYS ADD THE CHLORINATOR TO WATER.) 5. Empty the bucket of water with the chlorinator into the pool. 6. Keep the filter running the entire time you do all this - 24 hours so the stuff can circulate throughout your pool. 7. After another four to six hours, put your vacuum back into the pool and start vacuuming. 8. Check and clean the filter every once in awhile. It's now about 8 am the day after I started, I just plugged the vacuum in and got it going. A lot of the algae is gone, WOW! It looks like I'll need to sweep it a couple more times just to stir up the dead algae so the filter can suck it out. But it worked great! Online info says we can use the pool anytime now (it's been 24 hours since I started). But I think I'll wait another 24 hours. Maybe other people have better ways to clean up the algae - this was kind of scary because of the murietic acid, but it worked. Good luck - you can do it!

Answer 2

They sell algaecide commercially at most stores like Home Depot or Lowes.
You just pour it in, but it's a little expensive.

I just use bleach in mine. It's cheap and effective, but if your fountain slpashes alot of water around you can end up killing all the plants in the area(i learned the hard way). If you use bleach, it only takes about a half a cup for about 20 gallons to clear up the algae. Just turn off the fountain for a day after you bleach it, and the chlorine will dissipate. Then it is safe to turn back on. (if you can still smell the bleach, don't turn it back on yet).

Do not use bleach if there are fish in the fountain!

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Well, if this fountain is one that nobody would be drinking out of and has good water circulation, I would go to your local pool store and pick up some algicide or maybe some dissolvable chlorine tablets.

Answer 4

with a sponge

Answer 5

a