Tinfoil Barb

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URL : http://www.fishinthe.net/html/fishguide/fishguide_fish.php?FC=113&nl=&nt=1

Categories : English, Aquarium, BARB - BARBUS, Tinfoil Barb, Barbus schwanenfeldii

Tinfoil Barb
Barbus schwanenfeldi


Also Known As:	Schwanefeld's Barb, Red Tail Tinfoil Barb; Puntius Schwanenfeldi

Species / Type:

Community [Large Fish] types require fish of equal or large size to co-habitat with to ensure any of the inhabitants are not killed or overly harassed.

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Community [Large Fish]

Care Difficulty:
Medium

Length:
16 in (41 cm)

Tank Size:
100 g (379 L)

Region:
Southeastern Asia

Tank Environment:

Planted tanks generally require some type of plants to either create hiding places or territorial boundaries for fish.

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Planted

Food:

Opportunistic Eater. May eat meat, insects, or plant matter.

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[Omnivorous] Live blood/glass/tubifex/earth worms, and brine shrimp, also daphnia, plankton, beef heart, brine shrimp, frozen glass and blood worms, beef heart flake, frozen, and freeze dried foods; some vegetables like lettuce or zucchini

Temp:
72-77°f (22-25°c)

Breeding:

The breeding difficulty for this fish is Unknown at this time.

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Unknown

PH:
6.5-7.5

Photo Provided By: Kurt Colin

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General Information:

The tinfoil barb, like other larger barbs, can live for more than 10 years in captivity. They need such large tanks because they are a schooling fish, and ideally groups of 5 or more should be kept, though definitely no less than 3. These fish are very readily available in pet stores but they are not a fish for beginners. Some sources say that they are of the family cyprinidae, and others say they are from mastacembelidae.

Care Information:

This fish needs a lot of swimming space. The aquarium should be decorated with rocks and driftwood here and there, and some floating plants as well. In general, plastic plants should be used for the tank. They eat vegetation in the wild, and will dig right into any live plants you put in the tank. They are voracious and very aggressive feeders, and will eat just about anything in sight, including smaller fish. When they are fed correctly, they have an amazing growth rate of about 1" per month. They can be kept peacefully with other large fish such as oscars, silver dollars, and bala sharks, as well as with cichlids. They also look spectacular as a school in a single-species tank. As the tinfoil ages, the anal and dorsal fins turn a beautiful red-orange color. A soft substrate is recommended because the tinfoil will forage in it for food. Strong filtration is also a good idea to catch all the debris they will stir up while digging in the substrate. Make sure to keep the tank covered, and weighed down if possible. These fish are great jumpers.

Breeding Information:

This species has not yet been bred successfully in captivity. Some sources say that some public aquariums have had success at this, but there is no information published on it.

Suggested Resources:

Some information courtesy of:
freshaquarium.about.com/library/profiles/blfw0031.htm