Simple method of dosing alk?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by ponokareefer

I use RO water, not tap water, so I don't think that is the problem. When I was using tap water over 2 years ago, I was having issues with phosphates, so switched.
A main issue with space is I have to set up a fan underneath in the summer to keep the temperature down, so that chews up a lot of the space. I suppose I could put the fan on top of the reservoir, rather than a stand, opening that up, and also screwing in my MH ballast's to the wall.

Ok, so you're using RO water. Do you test the TDS of your product water regularly? If so, what is it at? If not, it is $28 well spent. An RO unit is really not complete without a TDS meter. What salt are you using? What products are you using for magnesium and calcium? What are your magnesium and calcium sitting at? Take a quick glace through Myka's Guide to Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium... in my signature, maybe you can pick up a missing link or something. It's an easy read, don't worry!

Another option for fans is to cut out a hole in each end of your stand and install fans one in each direction that mount right into the holes. This way you get really good airflow through the stand, not just in the stand, plus they don't take up any room at all. PFO ($40 each I think) and IceCap ($90 I think, but variable speed) make good ones. I'm sure you could find them in a hardware store too for much less, just look for ones with as little metal on them as possible to lessen rusting.