Another variation of the Barb, the Red Tail Tinfoil Barb is a great fish. Their large size and ease of care make the Red Tail a good choice for large fish aquariums.

Red Tail Tinfoil Barbs are aggressive and should not be kept with smaller fish. They have been known to eat smaller fish. They also might nip at the fins of less active fish, such as the Angel Fish. They will school, if several are kept together in a large enough tank. Red Tail Tinfoil Barbs need big tanks, with a moderate amount of rocks and plants. Red Tail Tinfoil Barbs will eat most live plants.

The Red Tail Tinfoil Barb is one of the largest Barbs available. They have reddish colored tail fins and their body is tin colored. At maturity, the Red Tail Tinfoil Barb will reach a size of twelve inches. The two sexes cannot be distinguished.

The Red Tail Tinfoil Barbs, or Barbus schwanenfeldi, are originally from Borneo and Thailand. It is illegal to import them into Australia.

Red Tail Tinfoil Barbs are easy to care for and are hardy, though they require a vast amount of room, which makes them not such a good choice for a beginner. They like neutral water, with a pH of six and a half to seven and a half. Their water temperature should be between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They should be fed with large amounts of flakes, small fish, shrimp, vegetables and soggy dog biscuits.

The Red Tail has reportedly never been bred in aquariums, partly because it is so difficult to sex them no one has succeeded so far.