Stocking my 60 gallon tank

[Atraiiin]

My issue is finding that fish at the fish store! I’ll look into it. Do you have recommendations for softening water?

 

[Retired Viking]

most tetras are soft water fish-neon,glow light, ember there are many different tetras most are good community fish but a few are not so good.

 

[Waterstrider]

Frankly I don’t do it, but reverse osmosis and peat moss are the most popular methods. If you have safe rain water (test it) that may be an option

 

[Atraiiin]

Well first off, don't listen to that guy at the store. Oscars need a 55 gallon tank at minimum with no tankmates. This is awful advice and everything that guy says afterwards should be discredited.

You have lots of options here. Do you want a lot of fish? or a few larger ones? Most importantly, what is your hardness? You've mentioned swordtails, african cichlids, corys, and rams all of which fish are very sensitive to a specific hardness. Rams and corys prefer softer water where swordtails and african cichlids will prefer harder water. These are some of the fish where hardness is very important.

Khuli loaches are another option instead of corys.

I'll wait for more info on your water and interests to comment further.

I don’t think I’ll be able to soften my water, so I’ll have to swing more towards the hard water fish. I like the African cichlids but they can’t have many tanks mates. If I go with the swordtails then I can have mollies and other hard body fish. My question is what bottom dweller, tank helper can I have with them since Corydoras like soft water? I have corys in my 20 hex and they seem to be doing just fine with the hard water but my local fish store is like a block away and I’m sure is using the same tap water I am. I have an idea on the main fish I can have, but I didn’t know corys didn’t strive in hard water, and those are my favorite

 

[Essjay]

The only safe way to 'soften' water is by mixing your tap water with pure water - reverse osmosis, distilled etc. Half and half will halve the hardness, for example.

It would be useful to know exactly how hard your tap water is - some people think they have hard water but when we find out the actual number it turns out to be soft or middling.
Look on your water provider's website for hardness. You need a number and the unit of measurement rather than some vague words. If they don't give it, take a sample of tap water to a fish shop and ask them to test it for GH and KH. Again, you need a number. But avoid the shop that gave you the terrible advice.

 

[Metalhead88]

Yeah, I'd recommend just taking the water you have and rolling with it. Any kind of additive will only make swings in your water and change the fish.

The only way to really soften the water is to use reverse osmosis or rainwater.... And that's a lot of work.

I have soft water, so my research into tank mates is on the opposite end as yours. I'm trying to think of a bottom feeder to recommend that doesn't get too big and I'm coming up short.

Have you tested your water for hardness? It may not be as hard as you believe it is.

 

[Waterstrider]

I don’t think I’ll be able to soften my water, so I’ll have to swing more towards the hard water fish. I like the African cichlids but they can’t have many tanks mates. If I go with the swordtails then I can have mollies and other hard body fish. My question is what bottom dweller, tank helper can I have with them since Corydoras like soft water? I have corys in my 20 hex and they seem to be doing just fine with the hard water but my local fish store is like a block away and I’m sure is using the same tap water I am. I have an idea on the main fish I can have, but I didn’t know corys didn’t strive in hard water, and those are my favorite

Bristle nose plecos are pretty well known for doing well in wide ranges of water hardness. That’s one of their more positive traits