# Black Mbuna



## dsiple3 (Mar 4, 2014)

Is there a solid black or almost black (not barred or striped) mbuna?


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Take A Look At Pseudotropheus acei (Ngara) - Unlike The Yellow tail Version which Are purple With Yellow Fins, The Ngara Variant Is Very Dark (So Dark It Appears Black In Most Light) With White Fins. A Male Ps. crabro (Bumblebee) Can Turn Solid Black When It's In The Correct Mood, But It's Usually Got Bars. I Believe There Are A Couple Of Cynotilapia And Ps. elongatus Types That Are Also Pretty Close To Solid Black, So Look Through Those Profile Sections, Too.


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## dsiple3 (Mar 4, 2014)

Yeah agreed, I have been browsing the profiles. The Elongatus Aggressive is a beautiful one, but stupid hard to find.

Some of the pics in the profile section don't do some of the species justice. Sometimes I have to find something that looks close to what I want and then look elsewhere for better pics.

I'll keep looking, but suggestions always help.


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## DrgRcr (Jun 23, 2009)

The Tanzania black Acei(from Itungi) along with Ps. Elongatus "jewel spot" are 2 others I can think of off of the top of my head.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

Ps. elongatus 'spot/jewel spot' is the closest to pure black that I've seen. Just the males - though. Females are brown-gray


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## pfoster74 (May 13, 2012)

my male http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=845 is a very dark black i cant see his stripes


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## dsiple3 (Mar 4, 2014)

The jewel Spot females give me some pause since the ratio is normally more females than males. The Black Acei I liked a lot. The Crabro would also work since the females aren't drab.

I think of the 2, my personal choice would be the Acei. Now the question is, how hard are they to find?

The proposed list to reside in this tank is:
~20 _Demasoni_ - Blue and Black barred
10 _Yellow Labs_ (could and might change them out for _Metriaclima sp. 'Membe deep'_ 1m/5f?) - Bright yellow or Orangish females 
_Labeotropheus Trewavasae Chilumba_ 1m-5f? - Is the female yellow too? If so, _Iodotropheus Sprengerae_ (rusties) to replace?
_Pseudotropheus Elegans, Itungi_ (aka. Tanzania Black Acei) 1m/5f? - Almost black in both m/f.
Would the _Crabro_ fit in this group as a 5th species? 1m/5f?

And non cichlids:
1 Syno Eupterus
3 Syno Decorus
2 BN Plecos
1 Raphael cat - to catch fry that escaped the smaller mouths of the syno's?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Really not any true solid black Mbuna that stay black. Crabro are too tough for your tank, and to be honest, they look brown-black to my eye, and are brownish when not in full color.
There are many very nice black with some blue Mbuna, like the jewel Spot Elongatus or a Johanni... many Cynotilapia types are beautiful. Heck, Demasoni have some of the deepest velvety black. Msobo males are very interesting. The dark black and blue barred Mbunas are very cool.

Copidichromis "Mloto" types have the most awesome deep solid black with some blue to white highlights. There is a Midnight Mloto, as close to solid black as any cichlid, but only in full color. Would not show good color in a Mbuna tank, but if you wanted something cool, you could switch to a Mloto tank.


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## dsiple3 (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for the thoughts on the mloto, but I already have Dems and Labs in this tank. I'm looking to add to the tank, not to redo the whole thing.
Although you are right, it is a beautiful fish. I already tried haps with this tank. The mbuna were fine, but the constant mbuna bickering kept the haps on edge.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Agree to choose the acei over the crabro.

With 10 yellow labs you are taking up two species slots.


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## dsiple3 (Mar 4, 2014)

DJRansome said:


> With 10 yellow labs you are taking up two species slots.


OK, I am with everyone on dropping the crabro.
I am seriously considering dropping the labs and doing Membe Deeps. The issue would be if I can find them at the only LFS in Dallas that I semi trust. They would trade me 1 for 1. 10 Membes can be whittled down to 5-7 with 1 male as time goes by. Maybe they will actually have the acei too. But I doubt it, since they are the ones I would really love to have.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Msobo are easier to find than the true Membe Deeps, and have brighter females and blacker males.

If you want Membe Deep, that is fine, but watch out for confusion over these two fish. Both are often sold with the name "Deep".

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=801


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

dsiple-

agree with noki that Membe Deeps are a tough find right now. I got mine after searching lists and inquiring with vendors for 2 years. PM me if interested in my source of F1s. They are still available, but you'll have to grow them out a bit before adding as they are small.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

And here's a vid from GTZ on the Tanzanian 'Acei'






The L. Trewavasae 'Chilumba' females are a peachy color with some sparse black spotting/OB patterning.


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## dsiple3 (Mar 4, 2014)

Lol, ne thing I learned from that video is that a black BG makes it hard to see them. But they will pop off of my BG.


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## Borsig (Nov 21, 2012)

My green afras are pretty black.


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