# All Black Mbuna



## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Only saw one, but couldn't get an associate to tell me what it was. Obviously Mbuna because it was the smallest fish in the tank (mbuna section of the store) and was running things. Body shape resembles that of a mollie, but not the head. He was all black with the exception of dark bronze egg spots. Any ideas?


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## lilcountrygal (Dec 27, 2011)

The only black cichlids I've heard of are Copadichromis melas (Midnight Mloto) or crabro? Im not sure either of them have bronze egg spots tho.


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Could've been the Mloto... def not a cabro. Thanks. I def need to get the owner to order more of those.


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

There are a couple of other black species, but both are rare in the hobby. Would likely be labeled correctly.


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## Labenator65000 (Feb 28, 2012)

I have a nearly black cichlid that I was told was a female red-fin borleyi.


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## ILCichlid (Feb 27, 2012)

lol you were definately told wrong then labenator =)


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## DrgRcr (Jun 23, 2009)

Tanzania Black Acei. Althought not 100% black, they are dark enough that they seem that way. Pics of mine.


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

No... wasn't an Acei... shape and fins are off, and this thing was JET BLACK.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

_Pseudotropheus crabro_ ?
Bumble Bee are the only Mbuna I know of that will turn completely Jet Black when an adult male goes to breed.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Not suprising it was running things.
Temperament: Aggressive
Conspecific Temperament: Aggressive
Maximum Size: 8"


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

I mean JET black, and it was wayyyy too small to be a breeding bumble bee. Probably not even 2".


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I've never seen them in person, so I don't know how jet black they are, but there are some Victorians that might fit the bill. Astatotilapia nubilia? Fine Bar Scraper?


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## ILCichlid (Feb 27, 2012)

Mloto can be jet black.


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Yeah, I'm thinking Mloto is what it was. Not 100% sure, but the losest out of the suggestions here.


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## Super Turtleman (May 21, 2007)

A picture is worth a thousand words...I'd love to see it.


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## Rare (Mar 31, 2012)

Perhaps this..?









Or maybe a rusty. Rusties can become really dark due to excessive inbreeding.


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## Rare (Mar 31, 2012)

Picture of bronzy and dark rusty?
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/7079/87097698.jpg

sorry. couldn't edit my post.


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

I've seen Blue estherea males when juvies that are pretty dark as well. Of course they mature and become much lighter and blue. My dom male was jet black when I got him.Now he goes from a standard Blue to a brighter powder blue when showing off.


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Hopefully either no one took the same interest in him as I did, or they ordered more of them. I'm gonna stop by Tuesday and see if he's still there. It was the first day of the store's 20th anniversary sale, so it was super crowded and I already had 12 bags in hand.


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Ok... so if you go to davesfish.com (his ad is on the home page sometimes) it looked a lot like THAT fish on the banner.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The sillouette? The tail and ventrals of that fish don't look mbuna to me, or mollie. The ventrals make me think of the Tang Ophthalmotilapia (boops, ventralis, etc.).


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## malawimix (Oct 8, 2008)

Super Turtleman said:


> A picture is worth a thousand words...I'd love to see it.


+1 opcorn:


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

malawimix said:


> Super Turtleman said:
> 
> 
> > A picture is worth a thousand words...I'd love to see it.
> ...


But then we could all Id it and the thread would die.
Enjoying the rediculous nature of this thread.
Kind of like what have I got in my pocket? Think its an impossible question as its prob not going to be a Mbuna. And there are loads of all black other cichlids. :wink:


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Another guess. _Pseudotropheus elongatus_ (Usisya) young female. :lol:


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## dperk (Jan 4, 2003)

I bought a single Pseudotropheus demasoni (Mozambique) at auction a few years back that looked normal (striped) in the bag but turned deep black in the tank. 
Not sure if this is common or not.


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Ok, so I was wrong (but it WAS in the mbuna section). It's actually a Hap. VC-10. Store owner said he'd never seen one turn that color. Now that he's not with his own species he's toned it down to a blueish grey.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Sure it wasn't a stessed out tropheus?


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

If he was stressed, he was making sure everyone in the tank felt his pain. He ruled with an iron fin.


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Little guy wasn't coloring up being the only one of his kind in the tank, so I went back to see if I could get him some lady friends... turns out he's not a VC-10 as I was previously told by the store owner. He's a Blue Victoria Mouthbrooder, and the two (hopefully females) I got today costs almost half what I payed for him.


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## littleolme (Nov 1, 2011)

That's a neat looking fish.


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## littleolme (Nov 1, 2011)

24Tropheus said:


> Enjoying the rediculous nature of this thread. Kind of like what have I got in my pocket?


Not fair! It isn't fair, my precious, is it, to ask us what it's got in its nassty little pocketses?


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

I guess this can be moved to the Victorian section... but it looks like I've had a spawn already. I hope so, because my little man is super handsom, and he's on full display right now keeping everybody away from his new woman.


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## Lord_Mort (Mar 12, 2016)

How about some pics?


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## car0linab0y (Aug 10, 2009)

Lord_Mort said:


> How about some pics?


Long time ago. They didn't last with the Mbuna.


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