Since these lines are relatively new compared to other Neocaridina varieties, we are currently facing challenges in meeting the demand for high-quality specimens. We want to introduce a fun and affordable alternative that allows you to breed your own orange-eyed Neocaridina at home. Plus, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions to help ensure your success!
What You’ll Need:
- 1x DIY breeding group
- 2 small aquariums (or 1 could work)
- A little patience (about 2 generation cycles)
- Passion for breeding – keeping shrimp is easy, but creating your own strain is something truly special!
How to Start:
Here’s a simple guide using the Blue Dream OE “Blue Demon” breeding group as an example. These steps can be applied to any color variety.
Step 1:
Set up your DIY breeding group in a tank and let the magic begin!
Tip: A small 5-10 gallon tank will do just fine and makes it easier to manage.
Step 2:
After a few weeks, you’ll start seeing young shrimp from the first generation (F1).
Note: These shrimp will have black eyes but carry the genetics for orange eyes.
Their body color will range from black-blue (from the male parents) to vibrant blue (from the female parents).
Step 3:
Once your F1 generation has grown, it’s time to select breeding pairs. Choose the most beautifully colored females from F1 and place them in a separate tank. For males, you have two options:
- Option A: Use the original orange-eyed male parents (OE).
- Option B: Use perfectly colored F1 males (siblings).
The difference lies in the likelihood of orange-eyed offspring. With option A (F1 female x OE male), 50% of the next generation (F2) will have orange eyes. With option B (F1 female x F1 male), only 25% of the F2 offspring will have orange eyes.
Tip: If you don’t have a second tank, you can still leave the F1 generation together and you’ll still get orange-eyed offspring in F2. However, it’s a good idea to be selective with your F1 to ensure strong body colors in the F2 generation.
Step 4:
Congratulations! Once you reach the F2 generation, you can select orange-eyed shrimp and continue breeding them to create a pure OE/Demon strain with perfect coloration. From this point on, you’ll see 100% orange-eyed shrimp in future generations. Well done – you’ve created your own high-quality Neocaridina strain!
