Name:
Michael Häsler
Country:
Germany
Number of Shrimp Tanks:
62 Tanks, ranging volume 12 – 50 Liters
Year Established:
2020
Summary of Major Milestones:
- Neocaridina Red Demon published in Caridina magazine (released 02/2022)
- Neocaridina Green Demon published in Caridina magazine (released 01/2024)
- 1st Place at The German International Shrimp Contest (TGISC) 2023 category 1
Beginnings and Innovations:
I started in 2020 when I found my first Neocaridina Blue Dream in a construction store. I enjoyed those little but interesting animals and after that, everything happened quite quickly: 2 months later I had 5 small aquariums with the common Neocaridina variants in my room in the student dormitories. When I found the first Neocaridina with orange eyes, I recognized this innovative characteristic and set myself the goal of crossing the orange eyes into all colour varieties. Crossbreeding itself is a lot of fun for me and I therefore try to convey not only the passion for beautifully colored shrimp, but also the fun of crossing something new. Since then, my motto has been “Passion to breed”. It’s an incredible feeling to look into the tanks and watch a new generation of animals grow up every time. And with a bit of luck, there are some animals that the shrimp breeding world has never seen before.
Milestones in Breeding Career:
Looking back we got close to the initial goal of having most Neocaridina with orange eyes. Here is how the currently existing lines were crossed:
My “toughest” project was the Neocaridina Green Demon: After initial crossing the following generations only brought up blue and black animals with orange eyes. After several month 1 found one single Green demon animal of a 3-5 mm size. To my luck it turned out to be a male and it survived. I crossed it back onto regular Green Jade and I could successfully stabilize that line.
Achievements and Recognition:
German International Shrimp Competition 2023
Group 1 Neocaridina Surface Colors – 1st Place (Green Demons)
German International Shrimp Competition 2024
Group 1 Neocaridina Surface Colors – 1st Place
Group 2 Neocaridina Body Colors – 2nd Place
International Shrimp Competition Italy 2024
Category 2 Neocaridina Blue, Black, Green, Brown – 1st Place
Category 2 Neocaridina Blue, Black, Green, Brown – 3rd Place
Contributions to the Shrimp Breeding Community:
This year I joined the organization team of the german shrimp contest. I hope I can support the scene by keeping this event alive, as it is a great spot to meet and exchange with other shrimp breeders in the community.
Variant Specialties:
Currently, the following Neocaridina with orange eyes have been crossed:
- Bloody Mary OE “Red Demon”
OE Red Demon Neocaridina by Michael Häsler
- Blue Dream OE
OE Blue Dream Neocaridina by Michael Häsler
- Green Jade OE “Green Demon”
OE Green Jade Neocaridina by Michael Häsler
- Orange Sakura OE
- Black Rose OE
OE Black Rose Neocaridina by Michael Häsler
Current Projects and Future Goals:
Although those lines above have been crossed, some have lower trait inheritance in the following generations. All offspring have 100% identical orange eyes, but stabilizing the body coloration is the priority Nr. 1 now!
Participation in Exhibitions and Judging:
Part of the organization team of the german shrimp contest in 2024. I consider myself as not suitable for judging for a simple reason: As judge, it is not allowed to compete in classes that are evaluated by the judge. I am entirely focused on Neocaridina Shrimp, and I could not participate in this class. On the other hand, I would be a miserable judge in caridina classes.
Advice for New Breeders:
Try something new! Keeping and reproducing shrimp is nice but for many people not challenging enough (especially for Neocaridina). Crossing different lines often results in the craziest things in genetics and the breeder is rewarded with unexpected results.