API Quick Testing Strips 5 in1 25 Pack
Water type
Freshwater + Marine
Number of tests
25 tests
API Quick Testing Strips 5 in1 25 Pack
Five readings in one dip, twenty-five dips to a tube. API 5-in-1 Test Strips read pH, carbonate hardness (KH), general hardness (GH), nitrite and nitrate from a single strip in under a minute – the standard weekly screen for spotting a problem before it stresses fish. This tube holds 25 strips, enough for roughly six months of weekly testing.
Key features
- Five parameters in one dip – pH, KH, GH, nitrite and nitrate.
- Results in under a minute – GH and KH read immediately, pH, nitrite and nitrate after 30 seconds.
- No drops or vials – dip, swirl, read against the printed colour chart.
- 25 strips per tube.
- Fresh and saltwater for pH, nitrite and nitrate; GH and KH are freshwater-calibrated.
How to use it
- Dip the strip into the aquarium and swirl twice.
- Remove horizontally, pads facing up, without shaking off the water.
- Read GH and KH immediately.
- Wait 30 seconds, then read pH, nitrite and nitrate.
- Compare each pad to the colour chart on the tube, in good light.
Specifications
| Brand | API (Mars Fishcare) |
|---|---|
| Measures | pH, KH, GH, nitrite, nitrate |
| Time to result | Immediate (GH, KH); 30 seconds (pH, nitrite, nitrate) |
| Tests per tube | 25 |
| Water type | Fresh and saltwater (pH, nitrite, nitrate); freshwater only (GH, KH) |
| Freight | Standard |
Ranges and target values
| Parameter | Range read | Typical target |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.0 – 9.0 | 6.8–7.2 community · 8.2–8.4 saltwater · 8.2+ African cichlids |
| KH | 0 – 240 ppm (freshwater) | 80 ppm most tropical fish · 180–240 ppm Rift Lake cichlids |
| GH | 0 – 180 ppm (freshwater) | 60 ppm most tropical fish · 120–180 ppm livebearers, cichlids, goldfish |
| Nitrite | 0 – 10 ppm | 0 ppm, always, in a cycled tank |
| Nitrate | 0 – 200 ppm | 40 ppm or under, freshwater |
These are API's general guidelines rather than a hard target for every species – treat a sudden change as more urgent than sitting slightly outside the "typical" figure.
Which pack size do I need?
| Pack | Best for |
|---|---|
| 4 strips | A first check, or trying the format |
| 25 strips | Ongoing weekly testing |
When a reading is out of range
Nitrite above zero or nitrate climbing points to an incomplete or overloaded biological filter – API Quick Start seeds the bacteria that processes both. A KH reading trending down explains a falling pH before it becomes a crash. For a target concentration during medication, follow that product's own label rather than this strip.
Suitable for, and not suitable for
Suitable for: weekly screening across freshwater and saltwater aquariums, and spotting a developing problem early.
Not suitable for: precision reef dosing or diagnosing marine hardness – GH and KH on this strip are freshwater-calibrated only; use a dedicated marine test for those in a reef tank.
Warranty and delivery
This is a consumable test kit, so no manufacturer warranty period applies. That does not affect your rights under Australian Consumer Law: if the product is faulty, unsafe or not as described, you are entitled to a remedy. Ships as standard freight.
Common questions
How many tests are in one tube?
25 strips, each reading all five parameters.
Do GH and KH work in a saltwater tank?
No – API calibrates those two pads for freshwater. pH, nitrite and nitrate on the same strip do work in saltwater.
What's the difference between this and a liquid test kit?
API's Freshwater Master Multi Test Kit reads the same five parameters with titrated liquid tests, which read finer increments but take longer per test than a strip.
