🐟 Golden Redtail Tinfoil Barb (Barbonymus altus var. “Golden Redtail”)
Large Schooling Barb • Golden Body With Red Fins • A Showpiece School for Big Tanks
 
📋 The Golden Redtail Tinfoil Barb is a golden colour form of the Redtail Tinfoil Barb, with a metallic golden body and red fins. The red develops as the fish matures, and juveniles are paler. It's peaceful and active, and does best in a group with other large, robust fish. Kept alone or in a small group, tinfoils can become skittish and sometimes aggressive.
Tinfoil barbs are sold as small juveniles but grow fast, so the secret to enjoying one is planning the tank first. The Redtail reaches about 25cm, a little smaller than the Silver Tinfoil but still a big fish. It needs a school of at least six in a tank of around 500L (130 gallons) or more, and 570L (150 gallons, roughly 5 × 2 × 2 feet) is a common recommendation. It will eat soft plants, jump, and eat smaller fish, so give it a tight lid and robust or artificial plants.
A note on naming: tinfoil barbs are often sold under the generic name, and B. altus is easily mixed up with the larger B. schwanenfeldii when young. The Redtail lacks the black stripe along the edges of the tail fin that B. schwanenfeldii has. Care needs are similar.
 
💡 Highlights
🥇 Golden Body, Red Fins: A metallic gold colour form of the Redtail Tinfoil
📏 Grows to About 25cm: Plan the tank first
👥 A Schooling Fish: Keep at least six
🌿 Eats Soft Plants: Robust or artificial plants suit it best
🏠 Loves Space and a Lid: A strong swimmer and a jumper