[DJRansome]

Welcome to Cichlid-forum!

I have the same size tank...I would not keep Malawi in it. I have tried a single species of peacock: fail. If you wanted to do a single species of Chindongo saulosi (I would not recommend substituting other mbuna) that could work, but they barely fit. I would not then add one or a pair of calvus.

Calvus would be OK in the tank without the Malawi.

I have mixed the calvus with Malawi in a 72" tank and the calvus survived but there was no natural behavior. You may have seen my post saying they were immobile.

I have had the opportunity to observe them with Malawi as well as in a Tang community...they are different and better fish with other Tangs.

 

[DJRansome]

The problem with a 36" tank is not the size of the fish...it is how territorial it is. Some of the 3" mbuna are better in larger tanks.

If calvus is the must have then you sacrifice the brilliant colors of the Malawi.

Six calvus and six caudopunctatus. They may live in peace or since it IS a small tank they may reject others of their species until you have a pair of each. The caudos keep the calvus feeling safe enough to move around, and they do have that blue eye and orange fin.

You could substitute shellies like multipunctatus for the caudos.

All male works better if your tank is 48x18 or larger and just the Malawi.

When my calvus was with malawi he hovered near his rock and that was it. As if he was terrified to draw attention to himself. He did not do this with the caudopunctatus or any other Tangs. He was happy with his NLS food, just not comfortable with his rambunctious tank mates.

Alto fry are hard to raise and you would remove them from the tank so they would survive. I don't think you would see adults and babies without first raising the babies separately for a year and then putting them back.