Can gold barbs live with tinfoil barbs?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Gold barb64–75°F · pH 6–8

Tinfoil barb72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

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

What works

Both are fine at 72–75°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

	Gold barb	Tinfoil barb
Temperature	64–75 °F	72–80 °F
pH	6–8	6.5–7.5
Adult size	3.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	Groups of 5+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for gold barbs

All gold barb tank mates

Better tank mates for tinfoil barbs

All tinfoil barb tank mates

Questions

Can gold barbs live with tinfoil barbs?

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

What temperature suits both gold barbs and tinfoil barbs?

72–75 °F. Gold barbs need 64–75 °F, tinfoil barbs need 72–80 °F.

What size tank do gold barbs and tinfoil barbs need together?

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