Hard or soft water

[Lamie]

Do guppies and platys like soft water? Or is it hard water? I can't remember. I have the opposite water anyway.

 

[Colin_T]

Most common livebearers like guppies, platies, swordtails and mollies do best in hard water with a pH above 7.0.

Guppies, platies and swords like a GH around 200ppm.
Mollies like a GH above 250ppm.

The majority of tetras like a GH below 100ppm and a pH below 7.0.

 

[Lamie]

Most common livebearers like guppies, platies, swordtails and mollies do best in hard water with a pH above 7.0.

Guppies, platies and swords like a GH around 200ppm.
Mollies like a GH above 250ppm.

The majority of tetras like a GH below 100ppm and a pH below 7.0.

What other fish can I have in soft water besides corydoras since they don't like gravel. I had a list but have lost the list of fish that do well in soft water. I have 8 tetras. What other fish could I have?

 

[GaryE]

When you look up fish before you buy them, you will see that information in their profiles. Try using Seriously Fish as your go to info site.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

It depends how big your tank is? I would increase the tetras numbers personally, they do so much better in big groups

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

What other fish can I have in soft water besides corydoras since they don't like gravel. I had a list but have lost the list of fish that do well in soft water. I have 8 tetras. What other fish could I have?

Please, please, wait before worrying about what other fish to get. Your tank is tricky to stock since it's a 70L tall, you've been losing fish and have a very sick cory already, and you have enough on your plate right now just trying to get the water changes done, you know?

Focus on getting that water change done, some sand added if you're going to try that, and then decide whether or not you want to keep trying with peppered cories, another cory, or would prefer a different lower level fish entirely, or not at all.

At the moment, you still have the two peppered cories, eight phantom tetra, struggling to do water changes and with live plants, so better to focus on those things first, get the tank stable and then rethink your options... but adding more fish now isn't a good idea. But the good news is that the vast majority of fish in the hobby prefer softer water, so you have plenty of options when the time is right!

 

[Lamie]

Ok. I'll wait and I'd like to get the sand in there. I'll buy it and then I'll get back on here to get how to do it. The water changes are tricky.

 

[Colin_T]

Angelfish, discus, most tetras, most barbs, Bettas, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm) and a pH below 7.0.

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm and a pH above 7.0.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids, or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.