I can't really comment on CO2 levels and pH without knowing your KH, and if you've got any DW the whole thing is bunk.
The Redsea CO2 checker seems fine... It will certainly get the job done, and the fact that it has a white background to read the color with seems nice.
As far as the plant thing goes, I advise you to take some pictures, measure your water parameters, and start a thread in the planted tank section with all the details of your setup, including light levels, tank age, plank species, stocking, substrate, and anything else you can think of.