Crossing my fingers....

[Tatooed_Lady]

We soaked last night (night of the full moon), I used some pH down and then MPS before we used it....this morning I tested, found the TA still off the chart and the chlorine VERY low, so I added some more acid, gave it a few hours, and the TA is JUST coming down off the highest mark on the strips....the pH is now hovering about 7.5, so I'm going to leave that alone for awhile and see how things settle out. I also added 2 tsp of dichlor, and now have a chlorine reading of about 3ppm.
So basically, my water is adjusting pretty well thusfar..I bought a "normal" filter, and rinsed all the Tri-X filters (they were HORRIBLE from that incident with the rust in the pipes), so now I've got a "spare" tri-x to rotate the rest with....I'm going to buy extra filters to keep on hand for the water changes to make things go quicker, and all I have to do is swap out the clogged/dirty ones for the clean/dry ones.

Any other thoughts on how I might streamline this, or is this pretty 'normal' for the first time ever fill and balance?

[Brookenstein]

Lady,

When had you last put in the dichlor when you checked the readings?  Dichlor dissipates quickly, so a very low hlorine reading is what you are going for if you added it say the night before.

Since you put MPS in it before you got in, are you using the MPS before soaking method and shocking with dihlor weekly?  I put in dichlor after use and shock with MPS weekly.  My water is great 99% of the time.

Make sure you tripple rinse  the filters after you clean them.  Its amazing how much risidual stuff is on there and it will turn the tub into a bubble bath if you don't get it all off.

[Tatooed_Lady]

Brook- the dichlor was added yesterday, a bit earlier in the day....I plan to work this into a dichlor post-soak routine, with either dichlor or MPS shock weekly.....I'm just trying to keep some chlorine level in right now, while monkeying around with the TA....once the TA is a little lower, I guess I'm supposed to add a bit of dichlor, then put the N2 cartridge in....I'm a bit confused, and working through things while trying not to get TOO many things going at once.
So far I'm still able to get some soaking in. If hubby doesn't plan to soak tonight, I'll work the TA a bit more.
I didn't use any chemicals on the filters, I simply used the hose and blasted out some of the stuff from the home pipes.

[wmccall]

We soaked last night (night of the full moon)

Fact Check alert!!!!!!    Perhaps you meant new moon?

[Bonibelle]

I'm thinking she was refering to her son's "mooning" of the neighbors  

[Tatooed_Lady]

actually......that was my HUSBAND mooning everyone, hence the 'full moon'.... *lol* He behaved yesterday though...shorts stayed on the entire time we were in the tub.