cory cat and bio orb aquarium

Question
Two weeks ago I purchased a biorb 4.5 gals, 4 tiger barbs, 1 cory cat, rocks and plants.  The water began to cloud after about a week and a half.  I did a 30% water change.  I think I will need to do more, because it is clearer, but not crystal.    I discovered that I might be overfeeding.  Can you suggest the proper portion of food for the fish, water change times, etc?

Answer
Hi Carolyn,
Since the Biorb is relatively new...It likely has not been cycled yet. Probably the best thing to do is to test the water frequently for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. This is important so you can monitor how far along your tank is in cycling and if your fish are in danger of high ammonia levels.
A 50% water change is all that is needed when ammonia levels are high. Although using a water conditioner that neutralizes not only chlorine and chloramine but also ammonia is also very helpful for fish during the delicate time of tank cycling. The cloudiness is common with new tanks like yours and is often just a bacterial bloom due to a sudden abundance of nutrients.

The best kind of water change schedule will depend on your final stocking level, filtration, and feeding amounts.
For now testing your water at least everyday until the tank cycles (as indicated by ZERO ammonia and nitrites) and doing 30-50% water changes whenever the ammonia level goes above safe bounds is the best thing to do.
In the future when your tank has cycled, a good indicator to go by is how well your fish are doing as well as the nitrate level. You generally want to keep your nitrates at 20 or preferably much less.

Water changes are the best thing you can do for ammonia problems and water quality problems of almost any kind.

Feeding amounts is tricky to determine as well. Everyone has their own method. But I typically give my fish a little bit frequently. Twice a day is good, and I always give just enough food for each fish to have at last 1-2 bites. The cory of course will need sinking pellets/tablets. I tend to give something like 1-2 shrimp pellets per cory at night when lights are out.

I really hope this helps!
Best wishes and Happy fishkeeping!
Karen~