Can convict cichlids live with tinfoil barbs?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Convict cichlids and tinfoil barbs can share a tank, but watch one thing. Convict cichlids are aggressive, though tinfoil barbs are big enough to shrug most of it off.

Convict cichlid74–82°F · pH 6.6–7.8

Tinfoil barb72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outConvict cichlids are aggressive, though tinfoil barbs are big enough to shrug most of it off.
Watch outTinfoil barbs grow to 12 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for convict cichlids.

What works

Both are fine at 74–80°F.
pH 6.6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: convict cichlids 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

	Convict cichlid	Tinfoil barb
Temperature	74–82 °F	72–80 °F
pH	6.6–7.8	6.5–7.5
Adult size	5.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	30 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 5+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for convict cichlids

All convict cichlid tank mates

Better tank mates for tinfoil barbs

All tinfoil barb tank mates

Questions

Can convict cichlids live with tinfoil barbs?

Yes, with care. Convict cichlids and tinfoil barbs can share a tank, but watch one thing. Convict cichlids are aggressive, though tinfoil barbs are big enough to shrug most of it off.

What temperature suits both convict cichlids and tinfoil barbs?

74–80 °F. Convict cichlids need 74–82 °F, tinfoil barbs need 72–80 °F.

What size tank do convict cichlids and tinfoil barbs need together?

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