Can pencilfish live with tinfoil barbs?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Pencilfish and tinfoil barbs can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 12 inches a tinfoil barb can swallow a small pencilfish. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

Pencilfish75–82°F · pH 5–7.5

Tinfoil barb72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outAt 12 inches a tinfoil barb can swallow a small pencilfish. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Watch outTinfoil barbs grow to 12 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for pencilfish.

What works

Both are fine at 75–80°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

	Pencilfish	Tinfoil barb
Temperature	75–82 °F	72–80 °F
pH	5–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	2.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	15 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	Groups of 5+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for pencilfish

All pencilfish tank mates

Better tank mates for tinfoil barbs

All tinfoil barb tank mates

Questions

Can pencilfish live with tinfoil barbs?

Yes, with care. Pencilfish and tinfoil barbs can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 12 inches a tinfoil barb can swallow a small pencilfish. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

What temperature suits both pencilfish and tinfoil barbs?

75–80 °F. Pencilfish need 75–82 °F, tinfoil barbs need 72–80 °F.

What size tank do pencilfish and tinfoil barbs need together?

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