I just want to make absolutely sure I am interpreting this correctly.

Several weeks ago I needed to test my kh and hardness, so I went out searching for tests. I prefer to use drop kits, but after going to four stores and having no luck I gave up and bought a bottle of Mardel 5-in-1 test strips. I don't use the results on them for my nitrites, ph and nitrates, I use the Aquariujm Pharmaceuticals drop kits, but for kh and hardness the Mardel ones were all I could find.

So I want to make abolutely sure I am understanding which test is which correctly:

The two tests I use from the Mardel strips are labeled Total Hardness and Total Alkalinity/Buffering Capacity.

Is Total Hardness the same as gh/general hardness?

Is Total alkalinity/buffering capacity the same as kh?

I am pretty sure they are, and have been using the numbers as such, but I wanted to make absolutely sure. I was having major ph drops (tap water was 7.2 and dropping to 6.0 within a day in the tank) so I needed to see what kind of buffer I was dealing with. Since then I have used crushed coral in my filter and now actually have a buffer and a stable ph. My ph is now 7.2 and the buffer is 80ppm. But I just wanted to make sure I was reading those tests right!

Also, I have found a drop kit kh test that AP makes, but so far I have only seen it online. Does anyone else know of any kh and gh drop kit tests? I have tried my local Petco, PetSmart, and three lfs's with no luck.

Thanks!

You're reading the test strips correctly.

Almost all the companies that manufacture aquarium test kits have GH/KH test kits. Other than AP some of the more popular ones are: Nutrafin/Hagen, Red Sea, FasTest, Seachem, Salifert, Tetratest, Tunze, and LaMotte.

I've used the GH/KH tests from AP, Hagen/Nutrafin, and Red Sea, they all work the same way and give the same results.

Thank you! I was pretty sure I was, but just wanted to double check. I wonder why none of my local stores carry the drop kitd for kh and gh? I will just have to order them online, i just hate to pay shipping for sucj a small order. I will probably wait until I need the Master test Kit again, then order everything all at once, or maybe when I order my new filters.

Thanks again!

Have you tried either of the Fish Gallery & Pets stores? The one at 601 S. Grady Way has TetraTest GH/KH liquid test kits in stock. Their phone number is (425) 226-3215.

Thanks! I had not heard of them. That is a little drive from where I live (about 30-40 minutes I think) but it sounds like they have some nice fish so I may have to check it out! Edit: I see, one is Renton and one is in Kent, Renton is a lot closer, thank you!

I have been looking for more local fish stores, so thank you so much! Do you still live here or are you in Illimois?

I am just FULL of questions tonight! :-)

You're welcome... I've never lived in Seattle, as a matter of fact... I've never even been there. I live in a LITTLE town with a population of 383 people in northern western Illinois. Heck... Where I live is so far away form anything it's a long distance phone call to the town where my mailing address is.

Well thanks anyway! I have searched on the internet for shops before but I probably didn't include Kent and Renton in my search parameters so those stores never came up. When I was 16 I lived in a place where it was also long distance to call the post office where my mail came, so I have been there too! I couldn't take though and had to move back to the city. There are good things about living way out too though! You should visit Seattle comeday if you get the chance, it is a pretty nice place, in my opinion anyway!

Thanks again :-)