Chris wrote, that 500 specimens are the minimum amount to guarantee genetic variability. Of yourse
that's true, however, we have had examples of several species which have gone through lower numbers
(genetic bottleneck) in fishes and other species. In nearly all cases was found that the fish couldn't be
distinguished from wild each other or the former nature specimens even genetically. Nature seems to heal
more wounds than we can presume.
Through the special experiences breeders made in the GDR we have some results on inbreeding
aquarium fish species over decades. Normally fishes were imported very seldom to the GDR. The breeders
had to keep the stocks. And this worked with rainbows as well as characids and many other for more than
25 years in several species, and stopped just because of the German reunion because then many aquarists
stopped their hobby and additionally many new species were imported and less aquarists were still
interested in the "old" species. Isn't this common to most rainbowfish fans?
Harro