TankmateChecker

Can bettas live with tinfoil barbs?

Verdict

No

No. Bettas and tinfoil barbs should not share a tank. Tinfoil barbs nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

Betta

Betta76–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Tinfoil barb

Tinfoil barb72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerTinfoil barbs nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
Watch outA grown tinfoil barb may treat small bettas as food, especially at night.
Watch outTinfoil barbs grow to 12 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for bettas.

What works

Both are fine at 76–80°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bettas the top, 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

	Betta	Tinfoil barb
Temperature	76–82 °F	72–80 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	2.5 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Top	Middle
Group	One per tank	Groups of 5+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bettas

All betta tank mates

Better tank mates for tinfoil barbs

All tinfoil barb tank mates

Questions

Can bettas live with tinfoil barbs?

No. Bettas and tinfoil barbs should not share a tank. Tinfoil barbs nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

What temperature suits both bettas and tinfoil barbs?

76–80 °F. Bettas need 76–82 °F, tinfoil barbs need 72–80 °F.

What size tank do bettas and tinfoil barbs need together?

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