# Calvus tankmates



## webgirl74 (Jan 30, 2009)

Still trying to figure out an interesting tank set up with some tangs. I have a malawi tank and would like to try something new. The LFS has some really nice juvie yellow calvus. The store also has some varieties of cylindricus and leleupi. Would these go OK with the calvus? I don't have the tank yet as I'm researching before making a final decision. Longest I could house at this point would be a 4', so probably anywhere from a 45-70 gallon depending on the height and width.


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## bgko (Oct 24, 2007)

You would be better off with the bigger tank for calvus and leleupi. I don't have a lot of experience with leleupi but from reading many articles on this forum they can be quite the bullies, Calvus are pretty shy. So most likely you could keep a pair of both which means buying like 6 of each and removing the rest when the pair is formed. I'm not sure of the other fish you might have spelled that wrong but one other fish you could add would be a group of 10 or more cyprichromis which would use the upper half of the tank while the calvus and leleupi would stay at the bottom amongst shelter of rock caves. I'm sure some others will let you know a little more.


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## tankmates (Feb 19, 2007)

I have two tanks with calvus in them. The fish get along very well. The fiirst one has calvus and frontosas. All fish were placed in the tank when very young and get along well. The calvus grow very slowly, as do the frontosas.

The second tank is calvus and cyrtocara moorii. The colors of the fish look good together. The blue of the moorii and the dark color of the calvus.

Good luck.


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## webgirl74 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thanks for the info. Frontosa and cyrtocara are great looking fish, but I don't have the space for a tank big enough to house them. Any other suggestions for tankmates that would be small or medium sized fish? What about shellies?


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## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

webgirl74 said:


> Still trying to figure out an interesting tank set up with some tangs. I have a malawi tank and would like to try something new. The LFS has some really nice juvie yellow calvus. The store also has some varieties of cylindricus and leleupi. Would these go OK with the calvus?


A few julidochromis would work with the calvus. 
Also, Neolamprologus caudopunctatus would be out and about, plus they might use shells if they choose to breed.



webgirl74 said:


> I don't have the tank yet as I'm researching before making a final decision. Longest I could house at this point would be a 4', so probably anywhere from a 45-70 gallon depending on the height and width.


My 75G and 90G are both 4' long x 18" deep... the 75G's height is 18" and the 90G is 24".
I'm pretty sure the standard 55G is also (just not as deep and I don't know the height), so that gives you some other options.
IMO, go with the biggest you can afford, you won't regret it.

If you could get the 90G there would be alot of mid-upper space for non jumbo cyprichromis. 
A 75G could house 10-12 of them.

Plant some valisnaria and cryptocorynes, then wedge some java fern between the rocks and you're in business!
 
hth,


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

Calvus will pretty much cooperate with any species other than their own. Keeping just a pair of Calvus can sometimes prove hazardous. Their should be only one male especially for your setup. A trio of calvus will help to spread out breeding aggression. I have only seen lelupi bully L. Furcifer (probably because they occupy the same parts of the rock work.) and conspecifics. In the wild leleupi roam and spen most of their time solitary so even m/f combination usually turn ugly every once in awhile. Most shellies will go well with calvus, I even keep similis with mine! Although I would stick to a "if it doesn't fit in their mouth" rule. You can pretty much put anything in with Calvus or any Altolamp.[/i]


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

I agree that calvus are good tank mates for most tangs, and even the leleupi will work well. Just calvus can be kept in a tank as small as 20 gallon-long, and both leleupi and calvus could be kept in a tank 30 gallons and larger.

I recommend starting with at least 5 of each species in order to get a pair or trio.


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