This is something that I have been wondering for a while. How do you grade the CBS that are more brownish than black. I have received them in the past, and have some now as well.

Are they graded as low-grade CBS? i.e B-grade or lower irrespective of pattern and colour intensity? Or do you grade them for what they are and include that they are brownish?

Just curious on what everyone's thoughts are. I prefer the solid black CBS, but I cant say the brown ones are ugly to look at. I just try to separate the ones with brown colouration into a different tank.

Cheers,

D

IMO the brown CBS are low grade CBS, geneticially they're a mix, and not true to striving towards PRL/PBL's ..... depending on your level/stage of shrimp keeping, most serious breeders, and hobbyist that are striving towards the international/high grades will consider them as cull....BUT, many who are starting this hobby would no doubt love to have em.....

Yes I agree about them not being in line to achieving PBL, but is it known for certain that they are the product of CBS x CRS? Or are they just poorly coloured CBS? i.e Less solid Black that looks brown because it isn't as solid?

I separate them from the solid black CBS as the brown isn't something I'm trying to enhance.

I'm no genetic expert...I think it's to do with the % of red recessive genes ? I use to have a small colony 2+ years ago, and noticed that they could not achieve a strong white shell...

There are some nice browns out there

Would you pay less than $25 for this?

There are ofcourse some less appealing browns but nice browns always exist.

Here is one of mine and I have no intention of ever selling it either.

I am still confused as to why browns appear in the colony. I do not think it is simple as a mix of red and black genes.

That would be like saying "I get sunkist from a fire red and yellow cherry"

But i would like to know the answer to this.

I think they are less desirable because it is difficult to keep a line of brown shrimp.

If browns had their own line, im sure their demand would go up exponentially.

I don't see why brown line can't be branched out. Interesting to see if there's enough stability in the brown genes though.

I actually really love the look of the browns. No less beautiful than another other shrimp in my eyes

I think that the Brown traits in crs/cbs is still very unstable, I have heard on other overseas forums that people have tried to further the colour but have given up over time. but it would be an interesting line breeding project, how I am uncertain, As i have shown with my cherries, that if you continually inbreed that the shrimp eventually turn back to the "wild type"colouring.

Wonder if anyone has seen the wild colouring of cbs/crs in recent years?. Now that might be an interesting exercise.Good luck and keep trying, thats how our shrimp eventuated in the first place. you never know what is around the corner.

personally i see browns as culls but each to their own! if anyone would like to take my browns away from me i would happily sell it away :)

but yes you could get some amazing colours as brown but the name is after all crystal black shrimp.....again each to their own opinion on this particular issue