It’s every pool owner’s nightmare: You go to bed with a clear pool and wake up to a swamp. In the tropical climate of Far North Queensland, algae doesn’t just grow—it explodes.
If your pool has turned green, don’t panic and don’t start “dumping” random chemicals into it. Here is the science-backed way to fix a green pool in Cairns.
Why Did It Turn Green?
Algae loves three things: Heat, Sunlight, and Phosphates. *Low sanitizer levels can also occur if the filtration system isn’t running long enough each day or if equipment such as the pump or chlorinator is faulty, reducing proper circulation and chlorine distribution.
The Phosphate Factor: Phosphates enter your pool via dust, rain, and garden runoff. They are “superfood” for algae. If your phosphate levels are high, algae can bloom even if you have moderate chlorine levels.
The 4-Step “Green to Clear” Process
Step 1: The Precision Test Before you buy chemicals, bring a 500ml water sample into Allan’s Pool Shop. We need to check your pH, Alkalinity, and Phosphates. If your pH is too high, the “shock” treatment you’re about to add won’t work. (Ensure sample is taken arm length under the water.)
Step 2: Balance & Shock We will provide a specific “Shock” treatment—usually a high-dose liquid or granular chlorine. This “burns out” the organic matter.
Step 3: Kill the Algae & Starve It We recommend a heavy-duty Algaecide to kill the remaining spores and a Phosphate Remover to ensure the algae has no food source to return to.
Step 4: Filter, Filter, Filter Once the algae is dead, your pool will look “milky white” or cloudy. This is dead algae. You must run your filter for 24–48 hours straight, backwashing or cleaning your cartridge frequently until the water is clear.
The “Too Easy” Option: Our Green-to-Clear Service
Don’t want to spend your weekend lugging heavy chemical drums and scrubbing walls?
Allan’s Pool Shop offers a professional Green-to-Clear Recovery Service. Our mobile technicians will come to your home (from Gordonvale to Port Douglas), treat the water, clean the filters, and get you back swimming in no time.
Ready to see blue again? Call Allan’s Pool Shop on (07) 4051 9344 or bring your water sample into our Manunda or Edmonton stores for a FREE analysis!
