# difference between black orchid and melano?



## sharkettelaw1 (Mar 6, 2013)

I've seen melanos with a lot of blue irids, but what makes a black orchid a black orchid? More blue than actual black? And what results can I expect from a black orchid x pure melano? Once again I have a pure melano female with no irids and she's fertile. I have several males selected for her. These fertile females seem to be sprouting like daisies at this breeder I go to


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Are you sure she is a pure melano and not a super black or marble based black? That sounds incredible...

I do not know too much, but from my understanding, a true black melano has a very dense solid black. Iridescence should be minimal, if any. Black orchids/black laces have a lot of blue or steel iridescence and fins are sorta see-through. They are often derived from marbles and do not breed true, carrying red wash a lot of the times. These fish are often crossed with melanos to produce fertile "melano" females.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Both orchids and melanos may carry lots of irids.
On the orchids, irids looks more like dots on body and lines on fins while on melanos the irid is spread with none on fins.

IMO that fertile black must be a SB - marble based. But maybe the breeder managed to breed out the marble. Melanos are mostly dull black and females are mostly infertile. SB has intense black with fertile females.

SB x SB often produces orchids. So orchid x SB will mostly produce orchids and a few SB.


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## sharkettelaw1 (Mar 6, 2013)

definitely not super black, but her shade of black is intense. No irids or even red wash, it's my dream come true, my male does have red wash and he had plenty of blue irids which faded over the past six months, he's now just mostly black with the horrible red wash. I am so tempted to give him a go with the female, I'll post pics of her when I'm on my PC. She was unimpressive when I got her, but now she's a solid black with a white chin


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## BettaBoy51 (Nov 13, 2013)

can we see what she looks like?


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## sharkettelaw1 (Mar 6, 2013)

here she is. its the best pics i could take


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