Re: Tin Foil Barb

Question
I have a large tin foil barb with 2 other ones in my tank with 3 little tiger barbs and a loach in a 40 gallon tank.  Our large tin foil barb has jumped out of our tank many times so we have a weight on the canopy and his manages to throw that off a few times with a bunch of bumps.  My question is he is very nervous when their is any movement outside of the tank or when anyone wears a dark color like black.  I am having a hard time cleaning the tank (the gravel) with the gravel cleaner as anytime I have gone near the tank, he freaks out and then I have to close the lid on his head, so just wondering if you or anyone has any solutions as to what I can do possible mesh or something on top, he is strong and he is too big for a net.  He is 10 years old, gets along with the other fish.  Everytime he does jump out of the tank, he gets more jumpy, he has hurt himself also from this.  I definately need to clean the tank and the rocks any suggestions!!

Answer
Hi Nikki;

Tinfoils are just naturally hyper and can indeed injure themselves. He is very frustrated and really needs a bigger tank, as well as a couple of his own kind to school with. If he is too big for the nets you have, get a pond fish net. Two would be even better, as deep as possible. Many fish stores have bigger nets. Catch him with one net and cover it with the other net so he can't jump out of it. Get a plastic container with a lid and siphon a bit of tank water into it ahead of time so you can net him to it. Put him there to make water changes in the main tank every week. It is very hard on him to have to do that, but worse would be having him constantly leaping out. Replace 25% of the tank water and vacuum the gravel too, every week.

I hope all goes well, and maybe you can get a bigger tank for him.....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins