# invert colonys, at what point should you introduce genetic diversity



## SlyDer (Jul 11, 2007)

My reason for pondering this question lies with my colony of red cherry shrimp. I started with 14 shrimp just because they were something different than the usual plant fish routine. My 14 soon became what i counted to be around 350 one day during a feeding. Jackpot, wit my hobby allready hindered by the expense of getting married and buying a home these little guys were going to keep the pumps running and the lights on so to speak. Ive shipped out more than i care to keep track of anymore.

Now more to the point: Im starting to wonder if after so many generations if there luster has been dulled by "the new shrimp in the fish room" and there newness has finally wore off to me, or they really need some genetic diversity to improve there color and bloodline.

I still always have the few "elites" that are deep blood red and solid in color and the largest of the colony in every spawn, but others who berry very small and have a broken red pattern into adulthood.

Just a topic for discussion, and chance to learn more about our hobby.
-Nate


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## DarrylR (Dec 5, 2007)

I was considering this as well and buy from numerous breeders. But I also got the response that the inbreeding is fine. Up till now I am about on the 20th generation of shrimp, and they are deep red. Just feed them color enhancing food, time by time. Or find a good price of a breeder selling some.


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## SlyDer (Jul 11, 2007)

i gave them a really close up look in a separate container tonight and the full grown adults still look really good, i think its just the mobs of shrimplets. But still ive been thinking about adding some new genes to the pool eventually.


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## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

I'm starting to get babies now (been 4-5 months in the tank).
The adults were either red, light red, and white.
But some of the babies already look red. I'm wondering if it is the food. They like this flake food I feed the fish.


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## StereoKills (Sep 15, 2007)

Most breeders I know, including myself, prefer to add new genes every 6 months or so to ensure genetic diversity. The longer you go past that, I find that each time they breed you can get smaller and smaller numbers of babies that survive.


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## praxis5624 (Apr 22, 2006)

I support Streokills comments about adding new stock every six months if applicable. Watch your stock and see if there are any malformation or color change and go from there. Good luck....


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## modster (Jun 16, 2007)

we should set up a trading system here. so instead of buying new shrimps, you can just trade with someone and save yourself some money.


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## southerndesert (Oct 14, 2007)

I am up for a trade anytime... PM if you want to do some horse...er...shrimp swapping.









One of the redder, but have some very red with yellow back stripe as well









Young female berried at just over 1/2 inch...









A mix of shrimp with lots of males...

Cheers, Bill


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

you can add them at any time...have in mind that coloration other than red might be caused by the introduction of a discolored shrimp, etc.

I still have a tank with my original RCS and they look as red as they always have. I have not introduced any new blood line on this tank for the last two years I have had them.

Regards,


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

From a biological point of view, you can probably go hundreds of generations without much trouble. The need for genetic varaiability is much more important in vertebrates. Even in fish the motivation for introducing a new bloodline is more a desire to introduce a new trait than to keep the gene pool fresh, so to speak. People have plenty of colonies of Endlers that have spawned to the umpteenth generation.


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