Water testing · Liquid test kit
API GH & KH Test Kit
Tests GH and KH, the two hardness readings the Freshwater Master Test Kit leaves out.
Liquid drop tests for general hardness (GH), the dissolved minerals, and carbonate hardness (KH), for freshwater tanks.
Consider: Hardness only: no pH, ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. It pairs with the Freshwater Master Test Kit, which has those and not these.
US version. Check what’s in the box before you buy.
What it tests
- Tests for
- General hardness (GH) and carbonate hardness (KH)
- How to read it
- Each test has its own bottle and capped tube; follow the drop directions in the instructions.
Before choosing this model
- Match the GH and KH to the water your fish and plants come from, as API advises; low KH lets pH swing quickly.
What API doesn’t publish
- API doesn’t print how many tests each bottle holds or the range it reads. Check the instructions.
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
- KH test bottle
- GH test bottle
- instructions
- 2 capped test tubes
Plan for the routine work
- Test weekly, as API advises.
- Rinse the test tube with water right after each test, as API advises, so the reagent doesn’t stain it.
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.