Thank you, that is good to hear...Would you have any suggestions for fish given the following water parameters? I've read that platys, swordtails and chiclids do well in this type of setting.
One hardly knows where to begin, there are so many options. I tend to go with a theme because the fish will have similar if not identical requirements respecting water parameters, aquascaping, and be more likely to be suitable thinking of activity level and so on.
You could do a riverscape if you want more active fish (like the barbs and danios mentioned earlier). Sand (or fine gravel), river rock, chunks of wood, plants or no plants except floating, dried leaves. Instead of Tiger Barbs (whose fin nipping does make them risky) the Black Ruby Barbs Colin mentioned earlier in a group of seven, with a group of 5-6 dwarf loaches; The Zebra danios or White Clouds also mentioned. Building around a theme creates a nice display because it is so harmonious, no fish is "fighting" conditions. This is a SE Asian or Indian subcontinent biotope, but it can be modified for a Central American stream if you prefer livebearers; pea gravel, less wood, maybe some rounded river rock; I mentioned this because you mention livebearers but frankly I would not because the hardness should be a bit higher for these. Cichlids like the Firemouth perhaps?
A quiet lagoon for quieter fish like the neon tetras. Cories, other tetras, with a sand substrate, chunks of wood, plants or only floating, leaves. Sounds much like the above at first, but it is how you arrange the wood that sets the two ideas apart. And of course the fish.
Flooded forest. Sand, plants, floating plants, wood, branches. Shoals of cruising fish.
I'm at the 2 week mark.
