Handle iron first, then balance the rest.

You don’t start with chlorine or pH. You start with a metal sequestrant (chelating agent) before adding anything else.

High iron in well water reacts with chlorine and other oxidizers, turning your pool water brown, green, or cloudy. You’ll fight stains and never get a stable reading if you try to balance chemicals first. Add a pool-specific sequestrant (look for “metal control” or “stain preventer”) and run the filter for 24 hours.

After that, test your water. The sequestrant won’t affect pH, alkalinity, or chlorine readings much, but it keeps iron from wreaking havoc while you adjust. Then balance alkalinity (80-120 ppm), pH (7.4-7.6), and chlorine (1-3 ppm) in that order.

Shocking a high-iron pool without sequestrant is a quick way to ruin your season. Buy a good sequestrant before you buy any shock.

Blame the well, not the pool.