Can black skirt tetras live with tinfoil barbs?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Black skirt tetras and tinfoil barbs can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown tinfoil barb may treat small black skirt tetras as food, especially at night.

Black skirt tetra70–80°F · pH 6–7.5

Tinfoil barb72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown tinfoil barb may treat small black skirt tetras as food, especially at night.
Watch outTinfoil barbs grow to 12 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.

What works

Both are fine at 72–80°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.

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

	Black skirt tetra	Tinfoil barb
Temperature	70–80 °F	72–80 °F
pH	6–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	2.5 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	15 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	Groups of 5+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for black skirt tetras

All black skirt tetra tank mates

Better tank mates for tinfoil barbs

All tinfoil barb tank mates

Questions

Can black skirt tetras live with tinfoil barbs?

Yes, with care. Black skirt tetras and tinfoil barbs can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown tinfoil barb may treat small black skirt tetras as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both black skirt tetras and tinfoil barbs?

72–80 °F. Black skirt tetras need 70–80 °F, tinfoil barbs need 72–80 °F.

What size tank do black skirt tetras and tinfoil barbs need together?

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