Water testing · Test strips
API 5-in-1 Test Strips
Reads pH, nitrite, nitrate, KH and GH in fresh or salt water; no ammonia pad.
Dip strips that read pH, nitrite, nitrate, carbonate hardness (KH) and general hardness (GH) at once.
Consider: Quick, but no ammonia pad. While a new tank cycles, add API’s ammonia strips or a liquid ammonia test.
US version. Check what’s in the box before you buy.
What it tests
- Tests for
- pH, nitrite, nitrate, carbonate hardness (KH) and general hardness (GH)
- In the pack
- 25 or 4 strips
- How to read it
- Dip the strip and swirl it twice, lift it out flat with the pads up and don’t shake it. Read GH and KH straight away, then pH, nitrite and nitrate after 30 seconds, against the chart on the tube.
Before choosing this model
- Add an ammonia test: these strips don’t read it, and ammonia is the reading that matters most in a new tank.
- Read the pads in good light, as API advises.
In a new tank the readings that matter most are ammonia and nitrite, so check the kit reads both, or add a test that does: see how to test your water.
Have a reading? See what it means for your fish and what to do today.
Included items & upkeep
- tube of strips
- color chart on the tube
Plan for the routine work
- Keep wet fingers out of the tube and close it tightly after taking a strip.
- Store the tube in a cool, dry place.
Check the use-by date printed on the pack before you trust a reading: old test solutions and strips can read wrong. Replace the kit once it is past that date.