Growing pearls

[Omega]

Ok I know this sounds a bit crazy but hear goes.

I know my tank still need to go a long way but i am planning on doing this so I want to do allot of research

I would like to grow a pearl in my tank is this possible and what clam do you use for this?

I want to start growing it for my daughter to one day make her a necklace from the pearl grown in my tank lol.

TIA

[malkore]

Oysters, not clams.

You need a very large tank (1,000's of gallons) to do this. Oysters that produce pearls don't live in shallow reefs..they are 10-20 feet down in deeper water.

I would hit google for mor e info. I've never heard of anyone successfully culturing pearls in a home aquarium.
If it was that easy, large pearls would cost pennies.

[Omega]

O ok.

Well it was worth a shot maybe i must convert the swimming pool into saltwater lol. Just kidding

Thanks for the answer.

[Jermz79]

Saltwater pools are becoming the latest craze!!!

[seaham358]

I had a LFS that was selling oysters from a company that guaranteed the oyster would grow a pearl. I do not remember the name of the company that sold them?? Maybe if you did a google search for it...
He had one that died and he opened it and it did have a small pearl in there... It was not a white one it was a grayish color..

[duugong]

dont you have to seed them with a bit of dirt or sumthing and the pearl is a coating that solidifies and is the oysters way of stoppig it irritating them, thats my basic understanding of cultured pearls

[flamingonhot]

It probably would work but it takes a very very very long time.

And yes sometimes they are made out of dirt. Sometimes pearls are even made out of tiny fish that get caught in the oyster, mostly the fish that live in sea cucumbers.