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"pink slime" - it's never cool when you've been slimed
Let's just call Pink Slime what it is: GROSS!
As we have mentioned, "Pink Slime" is a naturally occurring bacterium (of the newly formed genus Methylobacterium). It is NOT pathogenic (not harmful) in nature.
This is NOT a form of Algae; it is animal not vegetable.
It is seen/experienced in many places outside of swimming pools.
It is given its name because it is Pink-pigmented and forms a heavy, protective slime coating providing itself with an unusually high level of protection. Pink Slime is oftentimes found WITH White Water Mold.
Pink Slime is NOT a biguanide problem only! Pink slime can & does occur in chlorine & bromine pools as well. The Pink Slime bacterium has an affinity for the matrix that exists on the surface of PVC plastics (it likes it); it will attach itself to & inside of the matrix, allowing it to re-contaminate long after it appears that it has been destroyed (includes pool toys, floats, ladders, steps, fountains, automatic pool cleaner parts, skimmer baskets, weirs, directional fittings, garden hoses, etc.).
Small quantities can lead to a re-establishment of the problem.
It is generally caused by improper water & pool maintenance, environment, poor circulation. Pink Slime prefers areas that are "dark" (not exposed to direct sunlight) & with "slow moving" water (poor circulation). In another industry, medical technology, this bacterium occurs regularly in laboratory tubing.
Pink Slime & White Water Mold IS NOT CAUSED BY USING BIGUANIDES (Soft Swim, Baquacil, Polyclear, etc.). It is an environmental issue.
Keep in mind that Pink Slime CAN be physically removed (comes off with brush or fingers). If what you think is Pink Slime, but appears to be more PURPLE & isn't removed by brushing, you have another problem called Purple Cyanurate.Click here for the details.
EXTRA INFORMATION: If you're not using AquaFinesse Pool Water Care Tablets, USE THEM! AquaFinesse continually removes the bio-films that grow on ALL pool surfaces leading to Pink Slime & White Water Mold. AquaFinesse is 100%compatible with ALL pool water care systems.
It prefers areas that are "dark" (not exposed to direct sunlight) & with "slow moving" water. This is the same pink or reddish growth that you commonly see in your toilet, shower, bath & sink areas.
Pink Slime is often (but not always) found alongside of"Pool Mold".
Prevention:
Prevention of "Pink Slime" is preferred over treatment. Follow these steps to help prevent white water mold:
1. Physically brush & clean ALL Pool surfaces weekly, including ladder steps (especially underneath each step) & rails
2. Expose ALL pool surfaces to as much sunlight as possible (sunlight & UV are natural oxidizers)
3. Remove the lid from the skimmer to allow sunlight into the basket for several hours each day ** INGROUND POOLS MUST USEEXTREME CAUTION in doing this in order to avoid a person falling into or otherwise injuring themselves due to an open skimmer.
4. Regularly add oxidizing chemicals into the skimmer to purge & clean the filtration lines of any bio-film. Better & safer is to use AquaFinesse Pool Water Care Tablets.
5. When adding make-up water from the garden hose, allow the water to run for 2 to 3 minutes before putting the hose into the pool - this will flush out "loose" pieces of biofilm or mold or slime that would otherwise enter the pool.
6. Regularly clean pool toys & floats (use BioGuard Stow Away)
7. Regularly clean the pool's solar blanket (use BioGuard Stow Away). Pools utilizing automatic covers should be removed & cleaned twice yearly.
8. Chemically clean the pool filter every 4 to 6 weeks (use BioGuard Strip Kwik, Kleen It or SoftSwim® Filter Cleaner or Natural Chemistry Filter Perfect). Backwashing alone will NOT clean the filter.
9. Add regular Maintenance dosages of "Shock" & Algicide every 2 to 3 weeks as prescribed
10.Use Aquafinesse Pool Water Care tablets, Optimizer Plus® & NaturCare Enzymes as a preventative measure (if you're on a budget, your primary defense is AquaFinesse; the other 2 products are recommended in heavy or severe cases).
11. Run the filter a minimum of 12 hours daily to prevent "dead spots" in the pool
12. Remember to clean & rinse the brushes, hoses & vacuums that you use to clean the pool
13. Leave as much of your pool equipment exposed to the sun as possible
14. Keep the water balanced at all times. Recheck after heavy usage or rain or large "top-offs" of new water. Water balance refers to Free Available Sanitizer level, pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness. Improperly balanced water leads to all kinds of problems.
Treatment of "white water mold" MUST BE QUICK AND TOTAL! DON'T SKIMP!
1. Clean all pool & affected surfaces as prescribed above.
2. Physically clean & remove all visible "white water mold"
3. Add an initial dosage of algicide to the pool - good quality algicides are chemical surfactants that cling to pool surfaces, preventing algae build up along with the biofilm or mold.
4. "Shock" the pool with a triple or quadruple dose - the purpose of the shock is to "knock down" potential chlorine demand problems.
5. Run the filter 24 hours daily until water is clear & halogen or peroxide levels are maintained at a "higher" level(chlorine over 3.0 ppm, peroxide over 50 ppm).
6. Chemically clean the filter to remove trapped & loosened mold and biofilm.
7. Bring in a fresh water sample about 4 days later for a retest & evaluation.
9. Maintain Optimizer Plus® (about 30 ppm) levels. The borates in Optimizer Plus are shown to be good mold preventatives.
11. Maintain good water balance of pH, Total Alkalinity & Calcium Hardness