Hello, and welcome to the forum!!

The test kit that we recommend almost hands-down is the K-2006 kit. We don't recommend test strips with the exception of testing salt or borate levels, and we really don't recommend using pool store testing, because they're in the business to make money, so the recommendations you'll get from them are usually geared toward fattening their wallets rather than yours. You can check out this link where Pooldoc discusses the recommended test supplies http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...-for-your-Pool. The one thing I'm not sure about is what is needed to test for bromine, since we don't really have anybody around the forum that I know of with a bromine pool. I'm sure Pooldoc or one of the other chemistry buffs will be by shortly to answer that question.

In looking for Pool Foundation, it appears to be a mystery mixture of essentially a phosphate remover, a metal sequestrant, and Borax. Very, very few folks need phosphate removers if they keep their sanitizer levels where they're supposed to be, and you only need metal sequestrant if you have metals in your fill water. Borax can be purchased at WalMart or the grocery store for MUCH cheaper than $30/5 pounds!! I'd pass. If you understand your pool water chemistry and what each chem does to your water, you don't need the Pool Foundation.