MILKY / YELLOW CLOUDY WATER

Question
DEAR CHRIS,
I JUST CAN'T GET THE WATER CLEAR.
IT'S MILKY/YELLOWISH CLOUDY.
I STARTED DOING 20% WATER CHANGES EVERY OTHER DAY.
I HAVE A 10 GALLON TANK SET UP FOR 3 MONTHS AND  THERE ARE:
2 HATCHET
5 NEONS
2 SWORDS
2 VON RIO TETRAS
1 CORY
1 PLECTO
2 MYSTERY SNAILS
6 GHOST SHRIMP
LIVE PLANTS
FEW PLASTIC PLANTS
PH 7.0-6.8
AMMONIA 0 PPM
NITRITE 0 PPM
NITRATE 0 PPM
USE TOP FIN 'BIO 3' FILTERS...
WITH CARBON AND ZEOLITE.
FEED THE FISH EVERY 2-3 DAYS A SMALL PINCH OF 'TOP FIN COLOR ENHANCING' FOOD.
HAD THE LIGHT ON(FLOURECENT)10 HRS DAILY TILL RECENTLY/NOW ABOUT 5 HRS/DAY.
I USED 'CLEAR' BUT THAT DIDN'T HELP.
I WAS WONDERING IF THER IS ANYTHING THAT I CAN ADD TO THE WATER OR JUST KEEP DOING THE WATER CHANGES?
THE FISH ARE VERY HAPPY AND ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME SWIMMING AROUND. NO DEATHS AT ALL EXCEPT THE GHOST FISH ARE BEING EATEN UP OCCASSIONALY.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.
MARILYN ROSE  

Answer
Hi Marilyn;

The problem is overpopulation. The only effective solution is to get a bigger tank. The fish population you have right now is more than enough for a 30 gallon tank, so that size would great. Since most of your fish are schooling fish, a  40 gallon would be even better so you could get just a few more of the same kinds to make them happier.

The general rule of thumb for healthy fish is one inch of adult fish per gallon. It is possible to safely have 2 inches per gallon, but you must have optimum filtration, don't overfeed and have fish that stay fairly small. Your current population will be way over that in a couple of months and will get even worse as time goes by. Even at the lowest end of the scale you have a potential of over 30 inches of fish in there once they reach adult size!!!! Yikes! At the maximum calculation you have over 40 inches.....oh, that's just too scary to think about!
Here's the adult size info on the fish you have;

Hatchets- 1 to 1.5 inches each(depending on type)
Von Rio Tetras- 1 inch each
Neon Tetras- 1 inch each
Swordtails- 4 inches each
Cory Cats- 2 to 3 inches each(depending on type)
Plecostomus- 6 to 12 inches each (depending on type)
Mystery Snails- 2 to 4 inches each
Ghost Glass Shrimp- 1 inch each

Mystery Snails are basically little poop machines so they are to be counted too. They eat constantly and just make tons of waste. It isn't true that scavengers like them should not be counted in the population. They create waste even though they help clean the bottom. The shrimp really don't make much waste but should counted too. Every living thing in your tank has an impact on the system in general.

Keep as many live plants as you can. It will certainly help. However, keep them trimmed of dead leaves and stems. Dead plant parts will foul the water. Also, keep doing those water changes. Your brand of food may be a factor in the color of the water. Color enhancing foods will do that. It is okay not to feed every day, especially since it is so overcrowded, but don't give the fish more than can be consumed in 5 minutes. Any excess food will cause additional waste your system cannot afford to have right now, even if they eventually eat it all. If you see food floating around or lying on the plants and gravel after five minutes, too much food is going into the tank. Cut back a little each time you feed until it is ALL gone 5 minutes after you feed them.

Please get them a larger tank or give some away to the fish store or a friend. The problem is only going to get worse as they grow and you will lose some or all of your fish eventually.

Also, just a friendly tip.....please avoid typing in all capitals. It is hard to read and on the internet it means you are yelling. I know you weren't yelling at me, but I would hate for you to be misunderstood by someone else.

Followups Welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

Come on over and join us on the freshwater fish forum at About.com to get even more information too;
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/questionsanswers/a/naavigateforum.htm

My member name is ChrisR62. See You There!