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Inbreeding shrimp


Kieflow
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So I was given a 5 gallon tank and decided to do a shrimp only tank. I got the 10 pack of cherry shrimp from aqua Huna and they have reproduced like crazy. My only concern with the tank is that all of the shrimp in the tank will eventually be related (if they aren’t already). Does anyone know signs of inbred shrimp that I should expect to eventually pop up? Also, if inbreeding should be a main concern, how often should I introduce new shrimp to the tank? Thanks! 

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I don’t have any first hand experience but I’ve done some research on this since I’m thinking of breeding shrimp too. It sounds like inbreeding is a concern but problems don’t show up for several generations, if they show up at all. I think some of the problems people run into include smaller size, susceptibility to disease, and less successful reproduction, but it’s not common to see these problems in a shrimp tank that was started from more than two shrimp.

I saw some people online recommending that you buy new shrimp every so often to add to your population.

Just from my biology background I know that a more diverse population is going to be healthier than an inbred one, but it seems like either shrimp can take a lot of inbreeding before they run into trouble, or they’re already so inbred that it can’t get much worse. 😛

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I don't have any first hand experience on shrimp. however this term is kinda known as line breeding and it is important to add in "fresh genetics" every so often, its not like you will have a mass die-off or anything but your colony will be healthier if you mix it up every so often. Like buying 10 new shrimp in a year or so or if you split them to two tanks mixing them between each other each year or something. That is what I do with my snails to try and keep it fresh. Breeders do this with fish also, they will often trade lines to keep the genetics healthier. 

Example, if you and I both bred long fin white clouds, you and I would each trade a few breeding pairs to mix into our lines so my genetics mix with yours and yours with mine to keep a healthier line, in a few years we do it again. 

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