mommabear

I think an above ground we had several years ago was probably about half the water capacity of yours. It was a 15ft round, 4 1/2 feet high. The first year we had it, we spent tons of money on all the fancy chlorine, the "shock" treatment, and some other stuff I can't remember now. Spent most of the summer trying to keep the water clear, algae-free, etc.

The next year when we opened it, I plopped in about 6 gallons of normal household bleach. A day or so later, the water was clear and I vacuumed the bejeebers out of it after scooping the leaves and debris that accumulated over the winter.

For the rest of the summer, I just used that same bleach (I think it was around a cup full) every few days and vacuumed once a week. I increased the chlorine a few times during some really, really hot spells because it dissipates quicker then. Never had a problem with it. The key is scooping the leaves out and vacuuming religiously. It really is.