Gold Tinfoil Barb (Barbonymus schwanefeldii)

Choose a Gold Tinfoil Barb only if you can house a giant

The Gold Tinfoil Barb is a selectively bred golden form of the tinfoil barb, Barbonymus schwanefeldii, one of the largest barbs in the aquarium trade. It is sold here at 4–5 cm, but Seriously Fish gives a maximum of 355 mm standard length, measured without the tail, and FishBase gives 35 cm. That is roughly seven times the length of the fish you receive. Please read the space section below before you buy: most home aquariums are far too small for an adult school.

The species lives in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Seriously Fish describes its habitat as medium-sized river channels that flood in the wet season and the surrounding floodplains, and increasingly man-made canals and lakes; FishBase adds that adults use medium to large rivers and move into flooded fields. Wild fish are silver with red fins, a black blotch at the tip of the dorsal fin and a black stripe along the edge of each tail lobe. Seriously Fish mentions selectively bred "golden" strains, as well as leucistic and albino forms, all the same species with the same care.

Decide from the complete care picture

The name is spelled two ways. Bleeker's original spelling was emended by Kottelat in 2013, so both schwanefeldii and schwanenfeldii appear in books and on labels, and older sources may file it under Puntius, Barbodes or Barbus.

Understand exactly what you receive

One purchase quantity supplies one live Gold Tinfoil Barb of 4–5 cm. Sex is not specified; Seriously Fish notes that mature females are usually deeper-bodied than males, especially when full of eggs, but young fish look the same. Gold tone and fin colour vary from fish to fish, and the gallery images are representative, prepared from a reference photograph, rather than photographs of the exact fish supplied.

Golden tinfoil barbs are a selectively bred colour strain, not a dyed fish. Seriously Fish describes the artificial dyeing of fish as harmful.

Tinfoil barbs are also confused with a close relative. Seriously Fish notes that both B. schwanefeldii and the less common B. altus are sold as "tinfoil barb"; the black stripe along each tail lobe marks B. schwanefeldii, while adult B. altus tend to be more golden or bronze.

Work from the school you intend to keep

• One fish: only to join an existing school of tinfoil barbs.
• Six fish: the minimum school Seriously Fish recommends; fewer may become skittish or aggressive.
• Mixed colour forms: gold, silver and albino tinfoil barbs are one species and can make up one school.

Check our current delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy before ordering.

Plan the aquarium around a 35 cm adult

Seriously Fish gives a minimum base of 210 × 60 cm, about 756 litres, for this species and rates it difficult for that reason alone: it needs a tank at least two metres long. FishBase gives a common length of 20 cm and a maximum of 35 cm standard length. A school of fast, deep-bodied fish this size needs a long, open swimming lane, not just a large number of litres.

Seriously Fish gives a typical sale size of 50–75 mm, so this fish is still very young. Do not buy it for a smaller tank with a plan to upgrade later unless the final aquarium already exists or is definitely coming; tinfoil barbs grow quickly when well fed. Our tank volume calculator and stocking calculator help you check the numbers.

Use a three-step space check

1. Measure the base: at least 210 cm long and 60 cm front to back.
2. Count adult bodies: six or more barbs of up to 35 cm, plus every other fish at its adult size.
3. Plan the equipment: filtration, heating and a heavy lid sized for the full adult school.

If your aquarium cannot meet this, choose a smaller species from our barbs or the wider barbs category. For a large centrepiece in a smaller tank, browse our centrepiece fish and check each one's adult size.

Keep the layout open and the lid heavy

Seriously Fish says decor matters less than water quality and open swimming space, and healthy fish have been kept in bare set-ups. Give the school a long, clear lane through the middle, with smooth rocks and driftwood at the ends and back. FishBase records aquatic plants and filamentous algae as a major part of the wild diet, so expect soft plants to be eaten; use tough plants attached to wood, or none.

Tinfoil barbs are skittish and have a powerful leap, so Seriously Fish calls for a heavy, tight-fitting lid. Weigh it down or clip it shut, and close the gaps around pipes and cables.

Divide the footprint by function

Fix rocks firmly so that a large fish cannot knock them into the glass, and avoid sharp-edged decor that could injure a fish that bolts when startled.

Set water values within the overlapping range

The main sources give slightly different ranges. Keeping within the band where Seriously Fish and OATA overlap suits the fish, and FishBase's narrower wild figures sit inside it.

Most UK tap water can be brought into this range with a dechlorinator alone, but hardness differs a lot between regions, so check your water company's figures. Our water chemistry guide explains each reading.

Separate habitat values from waste readings

These limits come from OATA's barb care sheet. Large, hungry fish produce a lot of waste, so test every week.

Filter for a school of 35 cm fish

Seriously Fish recommends one or two very large external-style filters to provide oxygen, flow and plenty of surface for filter bacteria. For a 756 litre aquarium, its equipment guide works out two filters rated about 1,510–1,890 litres per hour each, a turnover of four to five times the volume per hour, and about 125–200 W of heating split across three heaters for a room at around 20°C. Our filtration guide explains how to set up mechanical and biological filtration.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate before maintenance.
2. Change at least 25% of the water every week, as OATA recommends, siphoning waste from the substrate.
3. Treat new water with a conditioner that removes chlorine or chloramine and match its temperature.
4. Check that both filters still give full flow.
5. Rinse media in removed tank water, never under the tap, and never clean both filters on the same day.

Cleaning the filters on different weeks keeps enough bacteria in the system to process the waste of a large school.

Feed plenty of vegetable matter

FishBase describes the tinfoil barb as mainly herbivorous in the wild, eating aquatic plants and filamentous algae with occasional insects, small fish, worms and crustaceans. Seriously Fish calls it omnivorous and opportunistic but mainly herbivorous, and OATA notes that tinfoil barbs need vegetable matter in their diet.

Feed a good-quality dried food as a staple, with live and frozen foods and plenty of vegetables such as shelled peas, blanched courgette, spinach and chopped fruit. Larger fish can also take chopped earthworm, prawn or mussel. Seriously Fish warns against overfeeding.

Build one measured meal

• Base it on plants: make vegetable matter a regular part of the week, not an occasional treat.
• Feed once a day: OATA advises offering only what the fish eat within a few minutes.
• Size the food to the fish: small foods for a 4–5 cm youngster, larger pieces as it grows.
• Remove leftovers: uneaten vegetables foul the water quickly.

Introduce the school to a mature aquarium

Confirm a mature filter, zero ammonia and nitrite, and a temperature within 20–27°C before the fish arrive. Use OATA's floating bag method: switch off the lights, float the bag for about 10 minutes, add small amounts of tank water over up to 20 minutes, then release the fish and keep the bag water out of the tank. Keep the lid on and the room quiet, because a startled tinfoil barb can leap.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

Watch the school and act on changes

A settled school swims together in the open, feeds eagerly and shows bright fins. Learn what normal looks like so that changes stand out early.

Pair each observation with an action

Record readings and observations before treating anything, and contact us with them if a problem continues.

Screen tank mates for size and speed

Seriously Fish describes the tinfoil barb as not usually aggressive, but it will eat small fish and can stress slow or timid tank mates. It suits only very large aquariums with robust fish of similar size, and Seriously Fish names cichlids, catfish, other cyprinids and characins as suitable groups.

Decide from the suits and avoid list

From our range, it can school with the silver Tinfoil Barb and the Albino Tinfoil Barb, which are the same species. In a big enough aquarium, consider the Bala Shark and the Silver Dollar in open water and a group of Clown Loaches on the bottom. See all our Barbonymus barbs, and check every mix with our tank mates tool.

Know why home breeding is unlikely

Seriously Fish knows of no breeding in private aquariums. The species is farmed in its native countries and elsewhere, and in Hawaii spawning is induced with hormones. It is an egg-scatterer with no parental care, and a single female can release thousands of eggs at once. FishBase lists it as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessed 2019).

Answer Gold Tinfoil Barb buying questions

How big does a Gold Tinfoil Barb get?

Very big. Seriously Fish gives a maximum of 355 mm standard length and FishBase 35 cm, measured without the tail. The 4–5 cm fish you receive will grow far beyond the size of most home aquariums.

What size aquarium does it need?

Seriously Fish gives a minimum base of 210 × 60 cm, about 756 litres, for a group. If your aquarium is shorter than about two metres, choose a smaller barb instead.

Is the gold tinfoil barb a different species from the silver one?

No. It is a selectively bred golden strain of the same species, Barbonymus schwanefeldii, and needs exactly the same care as the silver and albino forms.

How many should I keep?

At least six. Seriously Fish warns that tinfoil barbs kept in smaller numbers may become skittish or aggressive.

Will it eat my plants and small fish?

Probably. FishBase records a mainly plant-based wild diet, and Seriously Fish warns that tinfoil barbs will eat small fish, so keep only large, robust tank mates and tough or no plants.

What water does it need?

Keep it within 20–27°C, pH 6.0–7.5 and 4–12 dGH, where the Seriously Fish and OATA ranges overlap, with zero ammonia and nitrite and very strong filtration.

What should it eat?

Plenty of vegetable matter such as shelled peas, blanched courgette and spinach, alongside good dried foods and live or frozen foods. Feed once a day and avoid overfeeding.

Can it be bred at home?

Seriously Fish knows of no breeding in private aquariums. It is an egg-scatterer bred in fish farms, so plan to keep your group for its whole life.

Consult the care references

• Seriously Fish: Barbonymus schwanefeldii: names, range, habitat, size, aquarium base, equipment, water values, diet, behaviour, colour forms and breeding.
• FishBase: Barbonymus schwanefeldii: recorded length, environment, wild diet, distribution and IUCN status.
• OATA: How to look after barbs: UK guidance on water quality, maintenance, feeding (including tinfoil barbs) and acclimatisation.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy: current dispatch and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.