Pearls cultured in Ponds or Dams

[Bodecia]

Hi All,

Would it be possible to culture pearls in a pond or dam. I do realise that the water would need to be clean and as such a system would have to be set up to pump fresh water into and out of said dam or pond continually. BUT is it possible? What would the depth of the body of water need to be or temp. kept at to cultivate fresh water pearls. I am seriously considering moving to a property with dams and would like to cultivate pearls if at all possible.

Naturally I would have to do a lot of research first. Mainly this would not be a money venture, more of a hobby. I used to keep very expensive Fancy Goldfish and they take a lot of work. One may think goldfish and think easy but Fancy Goldfish are not easy to keep and I should think probably harder than pearl producing mollusks. So I do have the experience of keep Fancy Goldfish. Keeping them healthy, not easy, injecting them when they needed it due to various infections brought over from China and anything Stress related on their trip to my property or after they got here.

Water Quality, Depth of Water, Temps of Water of course would be of the upmost importance and I do realise this. AND as I said this would not be a commercial venture. I would do it because I love pearls. I would also want to keep edible fish in the same pond/dam system but think this would help rather than hinder as this is natures way. Also I would NOT overstock I do know the pitfalls of this through my studies and rearing of Goldfish. I haven't keep Fancy Goldfish for 4 years or so now as where I live at the moment just does not have a decent water supply to do such. When I move I could do so again but I just cannot go through the heartbreak of losing a little loved one to some dreaded infection. I have even had goldfish (imported from China) with TB and that was not fun. I love too easily and it breaks my heart to see a darling die in pain while I can do nothing to help expect put it down.

But, if I am totally dreaming I would like someone to tell me. Nicely if at all possible, as flaming gives me the pips (read something else) and is totally unproductive and vindictive in my humble opinion.

From me who really knows bugger all about pearl farming but would like to learn and try.

PS One of my Fancy Goldfish won a Virtual WorldWide Championship.

Bodecia

 

[KAC]

Freshwater pearls are grown in ponds and they would never be referred to as clean ponds. They also have quite large fish in the ponds, I'm not sure what species but probably some algae eating variety to help clean things up.

If they can do it in rural China under fairly primitive conditions, I'm sure you could have some success in a small controlled experiment like this.

Now nucleating your mussels would be another story, that will take some skill.

 

[Valeria101]

Well, wild populations of freshwater molluscs do grow is running, pristine water too. Whether those natural conditions are also the best for growing cultured pearls fast, that's yet another question.

I can definitely understand the impulse to get up close with pearling matters. The whole thing is as fascinating as the pearls! Wouldn't dream of DIY. Posting here and perhaps visiting a pearling operation whenever it may come handy is adventurous enough to me

 

[Caitlin]

That is my fantasy, too. But I bet you are further along than I am in expertise. The short answer is that people do grow FW mussels in aquariums and tanks, ponds ditches, but I think they like a gently running stream too. They seem to hop around to get in just the right place.

I am in love with mussels; they are my favorite mollusk. I am so interested in where they are still growing in America and what is being done to preserve them. I have collected articles on how they handle wild mussels in their state from most of the central Mississippi Valley states.

We have a virtually non-posting mussel lover as a member here too, so we are growing as a sub-group.

I started subscribing to the "Unio" list a couple of weeks ago and have found a biologist's insider view of wild mussels and caring for them. I should write a summary of their experiences in chemically-laden water, even with wet suits on. It is a horror story not enough people know about.

Bo, I hope you do some research and maybe we can keep a thread on just this subject, growing in info. Many mussels in this country are endangered and I think the unio list is especially interestd in people who cultivate mussels in tanks etc, though I have seen no post on that subject, yet.

TBC.....

 

[MABE BRAZIL]

Hi Bodecia,
I am starting a freshwater farm in Brazil, and I intend todo this in ponds. I choose this tech because the low hardness of our river water. So it is very plausible to do this.

Ricardo Cunha Lima

 

[Bodecia]

That is my fantasy, too. But I bet you are further along than I am in expertise. The short answer is that people do grow FW mussels in aquariums and tanks, ponds ditches, but I think they like a gently running stream too. They seem to hop around to get in just the right place.

Hi Caitlin and All,

I am afraid I have very little expertise as at this moment. But that is something I will be looking into over the next year. I do realise there is a lot to learn about the whole subject. Nucleating being the hardest part. I don't even know where to get the mussels at the moment. I am not sure if with our strict quarantine laws I would be a allowed to import them. You seem to have so many varieties in the US & Canada.

Hi Mabe Brazil,

I am starting a freshwater farm in Brazil, and I intend todo this in ponds. I choose this tech because the low hardness of our river water. So it is very plausible to do this.

Would love to hear more of your venture when you get time, which mussels, how you are going to go about it all and how you plan to go about learning the nucleating skills required. Do you happen to know what is the best pH for growing mussels?

Now nucleating your mussels would be another story, that will take some skill.

Yes, this will be the hardest part by far and I am not sure where I could even learn the skills. This is all still in the future for me but I will need to learn a lot and from many different sources.

Bodecia

 

[KAC]

You're not going to find a textbook on how to nucleate mussels, the only way is to have someone show you or A LOT of trial and error.

 

[Caitlin]

Bo
First step. Find out what kind of freshwater mussels live in AU and where they are. Sometimes aggie extensions at universities know about this. Also fish and game people. I would worry about any foreign mussel being introduced!

If you get your tank going, you will find a way to nucleate when the time comes. Remember, pearls form in response to epithelial cells from the mantle getting inside the mantle tissues, somehow. In cultured pearls the epithelial cells get there from technicians, in natural pearls there are obviously other ways to cause nucleation.

With Richard leading the way, I hope we will learn.

The US has so many kinds of wonderful mussels, I dearly wish a lot of people would take to introducing mussels from their area into their tanks and ponds. they are great filters and if you read the Unio list, you'll see they can live under water conditions that would kill people, so when they die off-the water is really really bad.

 

[pierrettedE]

hey, it's like they say "You're not alone" I've been streaming throught text books for a couple of years now. I'm very interested in learning about the wild freshwater mussel species that are founfd in Nova Scotia. I remember seeing some when I was groing up and I know that the Yellow Lamp Mussel is endangered, though not found near my home.

On an aquaculture point of view. Are freshwater pearls cultured in any amount of enclosed large tank system?
(like lobster pounds)

 

[MABE BRAZIL]

Hi Bodecia and all of forum,
As I know it's not the pH the major parameters, but the hardness. Low hardness will provide low calcium carbonate levels, so the growth of shell and pearl will be slow and not good. I think the total water volume it is not so important, you could raise freshwater mussels in 10 lt tanks, but the flow (water changes) is very important, you must offers food and eliminated the waste.

Ricardo

 

[dmj]

haha a old one this one but i actually want to do the same soooooo what do i neeed?

i have space
i have money
i have passion

so lets build a pont andddddd

 

[dmj]

no joke i actually plan on doing this would be nice to have a pearl exhibition in holland somewhere on a couple years and show a dutch pearl cultivation centre of 10 shells with it haha