TankmateChecker

Can bamboo shrimp live with tinfoil barbs?

Verdict

No

No. Bamboo shrimp and tinfoil barbs should not share a tank. A tinfoil barb is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.

Bamboo shrimp

Bamboo shrimp72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Tinfoil barb

Tinfoil barb72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerA tinfoil barb is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.
Watch outTinfoil barbs grow to 12 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for bamboo shrimp.

What works

Both are fine at 72–80°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bamboo shrimp the bottom, tinfoil barbs the mid.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Bamboo shrimp	Tinfoil barb
Temperature	72–82 °F	72–80 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	3.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 5+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bamboo shrimp

All bamboo shrimp tank mates

Better tank mates for tinfoil barbs

All tinfoil barb tank mates

Questions

Can bamboo shrimp live with tinfoil barbs?

No. Bamboo shrimp and tinfoil barbs should not share a tank. A tinfoil barb is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.

What temperature suits both bamboo shrimp and tinfoil barbs?

72–80 °F. Bamboo shrimp need 72–82 °F, tinfoil barbs need 72–80 °F.

What size tank do bamboo shrimp and tinfoil barbs need together?

At least 125 gal, set by the tinfoil barb. Add space for each extra fish.