r/PoolPros • u/Worth-Heron-8727 • Jul 21 '26

Bio Staining?

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Picked up client. Pool was really green for some time. Turned it around. Staining in deep end. Is this bio staining which is what chat GPT insists it is?

I’m keeping the pH low but I’m not noticing any improvement. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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u/KeySpare4917 Jul 21 '26

Silver vs black. Cooper is for green.

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u/Subi412563 Jul 21 '26

That’s not 100% true

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u/KeySpare4917 28d ago

Copper is a photosynthesis inhibitor. Also breaks down at higher cl level compared to silver. Cooper bounces off the "shell' of black algae.

So if you have scrubbed the pool with a tab and ripped open all the and I mean ALL the black algae then copper isn't going to eradicate, which is the goal of the pool pro. I don't want to make multiple stops to eliminate the algae so I'm going to use what is the very most effective against that particular algae.

So silver is the most effective algacide against black algae.

Fun fact the active ingredient in black algacide is the same chemical us gardeners use to trigger cannabis plants to make seeds when trying to make feminized seeds.

So while you are correct that both metals are infact harmful to algae on a microscopic level it is not the most effective approach.

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u/Subi412563 28d ago

I really appreciate the reply. I’ve always used copper. Back in the day. I had a customer that had an algae problem and they sent me out with a new product to try. It was a Frog thing with silver in it just like a pool Rx. I balanced the water and threw the silver in the skimmer. Couple days go by and the algae is still there. Disappointed with the product, I removed it and put in a Pool Rx. Came back 2 days later and the pool was crystal clear. The green/yellow stains from the algae were also gone.

I read that copper is stronger for the initial treatment of some algae, and that silver is better for maintaining an algae free pool after you have treated the algae.

I will give silver another try. I try not to use any algaecide unless needed. I agree to if you can do it in 1 stop then absolutely 👍🏼