Sounds like a possible algae bloom, which could have been coming before you added the plants (which should outcompete algae for nutrients).
It won't cause any harm conducting a 24hr blackout with your tank (no feeding, and cover it with towels/sheets so no light can get in). This short amount of time will *not* hurt your plants unless they are exceptionally sensitive varieties (I've used this method before on many planted tanks and had no adverse effects).
You could also try running some AC in your filter.