Dont rely at all on test kits, Fe tests are renowned for being horribly unreliable.. this is the beauty of EI, you just dont need them, the large weekly water change will reset any over doses, so long as you stay in EI param's pretty well. I fell into the testing trap when I started all this, and Im still a newbie to be honest its easy to get obsessed into testing this and that, and trying to figure out whats causing what... EI releaves so much stress, and gives you the energy and motivation to actually do what we all love doing, watching out tanks grow, and fiddling with scaping/planting.

I had just about all the main types of algae, it was a nightmare on a stick.. now Ive gotton CO2 stable, and a sensible amount of light/EI things are alot more sensible.. After a pretty serious cyanobacteria outbreak which caused me to do a 3 day blackout, Im nipping a weird brown algae issue in the bud, so to speak, but everything s growing like a weed, and now Im increasing biomass things are settling down beautifully.. reading the Barr Reports certainly helped me alot, but the main thing that helped was Tom telling me to slow down, and sort out CO2.. after that the puzzle clicks into place

Good luck with it all, Im sure that many more will add to this thread, such is the greatness of this place! were all continually learning