Take a look at Pool School, read as much of it as you can, study it, then read some more later. In particular, you need to get one of our recommended test kits.
See my Sig below for all these links.
Test strips, aside from salt, are just a shot in the dark..... at best!
Pool store testing is just about as bad. Nothing, I mean nothing beats being able to test your water yourself and knowing, as well as understanding what's in it, what to put in it and why.
This site as well as its knowledgeable members, even those just starting out and veterans alike, will happily help you learn to do just that. For 1 simple reason, because we all love pools and what goes along with them. Seeing people enjoy them...... Trouble Free!
It all starts in Pool School, it may seem daunting, but it just looks that way. We all started out just like you at some point. If it weren't for the nice folks that run this place, we wouldn't have learned a better way to manage our pools, nor would we be here.
Edit: Disconnect those copper plates on your SWCG unit. It just turns your hair green, causes staining and other bad problems. It's not needed for it to do its job, the other set of plates are where the business end of things happen. You can use the forum's Google search @ top right to find out more from countless others that have done the same thing.
Also, please fill in your signature and location info in your profile as instructed in the 1st link in pool school. This way we can better assist you based on your climate and equipment.