SALIFERT General Hardness Test kit for freshwater (GH)

Description

Product:
GH is measured in dGH (degrees of GH) and ppm. It measures the amount of calcium and magnesium ions in the water. In other words, how hard or soft your water is.

It is an indication on whether your aquarium water has enough minerals(Magnesium, calcium etc.) and/or salts that are essential for health and growth of your fishes and even plants.

Ideally, freshwater aquariums have a GH between 4-8 dGH (or 70-140 ppm).
A change in GH levels may also be required when breeding certain fishes such as Discus.
Some of the common symptoms of low GH include,

Fishes with poor appetite, slow growth rate, lethargy, or faded colors
Plants with signs of calcium or mineral deficiencies

Crayfishes, shrimps having trouble molting, death during molting
Snails with thin, flaking, or pitted shells

Instructions:

Add 5ml of aquarium water in to the test vial.
Add GH reagent by the droplets. Swirl for about 5 seconds after each drop.
Stop when the color changes from red/pink to blue. Count the number of drops.

Each drop of GH reagent corresponds to 1 dGH unit.
For planted freshwater aquaria, a GH value of 8 – 12 dGH is advised.

Note:
Keep out of the reach of children! Only for aquarium hobby use.
The use of protective gloves and eye protection is recommended.
Please read the instructions carefully before using the product.

Salifert:
Salifert is a Netherlands base company that produces top of the line test kits as well as tank additives and foods for marine and reef aquariums.
Salifert is well established and popular with hobbyist for their accurate and affordable test kits.

The Salifert Freshwater GH Test for Local Tap Water

General hardness tells you how much calcium and magnesium your water carries, and that matters a lot in Singapore because our tap supply runs soft. Soft water suits many tetras, rasboras and bettas, but it can leave shrimp, livebearers and some snails short of the minerals they need for healthy shells and moulting. This Salifert GH kit lets you measure exactly where your water sits before you stock or remineralise.

The test is a straightforward drop-count titration; just add reagent until the colour turns and read off your dGH. Knowing this number guides whether you keep soft-water species as-is or add a GH booster for shrimp and hard-water fish. It also helps explain breeding success or failure, since many species key their spawning to hardness as much as temperature.

Browse the full Salifert range in our water testing and treatment category. To interpret your reading, see our GH vs KH explainer and how to raise GH guide.