Don't panic — it's just dead algae.

Yes, that’s normal. You shocked the pool, you killed something, and now its tiny corpses are floating around making the water look like a milkshake.

The fix is simple: run your filter continuously. Brush the walls and floor to kick up any settled dead stuff. Check your pH and alkalinity — if they’re off, the filter works less efficiently and the cloud might stick around. A pool clarifier can help clump the particles so the filter catches them faster.

Unless you overdosed on calcium hypochlorite or threw shock into water with super high calcium levels, this clears up in 12–24 hours. Give it time.

After 24 hours of filtering with no change, test for metals or high calcium. Otherwise, you’re fine.