How do i keep clean water?

I have a 10gl all glass aquarium and i have a Marineland Penguin Power Filter 100B. I have one betta, one sowardtail, one Panda Corry, a pleco, and a kuhla loach. i noticed that the water in the tank was turning green. i keep the over feeding low and i replace the filter cartridge about every 2 - 4 weeks. I keep as much sunlight out as possible. I vacume the gravel about once a month. I recently did a 50% water change and i took all the decor out and cleaned it real good to see if that would remove the green water. Well to my suprise it did NOT. I use spring water with the fresh water aquarium salt in as well. i also use AquaSafe from Tetra a few drops per each gallon of water. i have the light on the tank about 12 hours a day. and i feed my fish once a day avoiding as much as i can the over feeding. But yet with all this i still have green water. can somebody please give me some advice on how to make the water clear and clean again? I really want to see my fish swim again without the fog and greenness of the water.

what are you parameter readings? can you get a water sample tested? that will help us out....also, how long has your tank been running?

I will be getting it tested probably tomorrow. i dont have a test kit so i normally go to the pet store to get it tested. I've had it running for about 4 - 5 months now. I will let you guys know ASAP when i get the water tested i would get it tested tonight but the weather is not permiting.

You are on the coast of somewhere beautiful and having bad weather? Nothing terrible, I hope.

My guess would be that the problem might be high nitrates. Usually high nitrates can be fixed by weekly 25-50% water changes with gravel cleaning. Be sure to have the tank water tested along with some fresh tap water. Post you results for both.

that was my first thought as well....over feeding can lead to high nitrates, which will in turn, turn your tank green.....get your water checked out and get back to us...

12 Hours a day is a little high as well. I'd try lowering it to 8 and see if the algae clears up. Also, do you have any plants in the tank? If not, you might consider some, as they will compete with the Algae for "food".

Also also, 10 gallons is not enough for the fish you have. The pleco will get up to 2 feet long by itself (too much for even a 50 gallon!).

Hope this helps!

I agree with the others

Are actually replacing the foam cartridge or like the carbon or something. Replacing the foam, will keep your tank in a never ending cycle.....

Even if the our tap water is hard? i normally get the water at walmart in the jugs and before i use it i add a couple drops of the AquaSafe to each of the jugs of water. now should i do the 25 - 50% water changes every week or just until it gets cleard up? and we arent having too bad of weather here just a lot of rain which we need anyway.

I will try that with the lights. I thought about getting real plants in there before but i keep hearing how hard it is to keep them alive. and as far as the pleco i got him as a tiny baby and he really isn't that big yet, but when he is i will be getting a 70 gallon tank.

I replace the "Foam"/ Filter Cartridges every two weeks.