Test Kits

API 5 in 1 Test Strips

Dip stripsFreshwater & marine

API 5 in 1 Test Strips give a five-parameter reading from one dip. Each strip carries pads for pH, carbonate hardness (KH), general hardness (GH), nitrate and nitrite; dip it in the tank, swirl twice, hold it flat and match the pads to the colour card. It is the fast way to keep an eye on an established aquarium between full liquid tests, and the only way most people will test hardness every week. The strips are accurate when used as directed and come in packs of 25 and 100. Note that they do not test ammonia — pair them with the Ammonia Test Strips or a liquid kit for a new tank.

Pack: 25 strips

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Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Technical details

Test type	Dip strip
Parameters	pH, KH, GH, nitrate, nitrite
Packs	25 strips · 100 strips
Suitable for	Freshwater and saltwater aquariums
Time per test	Under a minute
Not included	Ammonia — use Ammonia Test Strips or a liquid kit
In the box	Sealed strips, colour chart, instructions
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Keep the tube tightly closed and dry — strips read wrongly once the pads have absorbed moisture from the air.

Strips or a liquid kit?

Both, used for different jobs. Liquid kits are the more precise format and the right tool for cycling a new tank, chasing a problem or reading ammonia. Strips trade a little precision for speed, and speed is what gets a weekly check done: one dip reads pH, KH, GH, nitrate and nitrite in under a minute. A practical routine is the Freshwater Master Test Kit while a tank is new, then 5 in 1 strips every week once it is stable, with the liquid kit kept for any reading that looks wrong. The 25-strip tube is six months of weekly checks; the 100-strip tube suits several tanks.

Five results, sixty seconds

Liquid tests are precise but take time; a strip takes the time it needs to dip and read. Five pads on one strip cover the parameters that drift in an established tank — pH, KH, GH, nitrate and nitrite — so a weekly check becomes something you actually do rather than mean to do.

Hardness included

Few keepers test GH and KH regularly because the liquid kits are drop-counted titrations. The strips read both at a glance, which is how you notice KH falling in a soft-water tank before the pH crashes, or GH climbing as evaporation concentrates the minerals.

Dip, swirl, hold flat, read

The technique matters: dip the strip, swirl it twice, lift it out and hold it level — do not shake off the water — and compare the pads against the card in good light within the time the instructions give. The card explains what each result means and how to correct it.

Frequently asked questions

Do the 5 in 1 strips test ammonia?

No. They read pH, KH, GH, nitrate and nitrite. For ammonia use the API Ammonia Test Strips or the liquid Ammonia Test Kit.

How accurate are test strips?

API rates them highly accurate when used as directed — dipped, swirled twice, held flat and read within the stated time. Liquid kits remain the more precise format for diagnosing a problem.

Can I use them in a saltwater tank?

Yes. The strips are designed for freshwater and saltwater aquariums.

Can I cut strips in half to make them last longer?

No. The pads are positioned to be read against the card and cutting exposes the pads to moisture; use one whole strip per test and keep the rest sealed.

Are API 5 in 1 Test Strips available in South Africa?

Yes — Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg stocks both the 25 and 100 packs and delivers nationwide; live pricing and stock are on jungleaquatics.com.

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South Africa's leading pet and aquarium store since 2007 — with the API range on the floor in Fourways, advice from people who test water every day, and easy ordering from anywhere in the country.

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