EW’ S PETS ISSUE 2012
Get a Shovel
BACKYARD FISH FOR FUN AND FOOD by Dante Zuñiga-West
I
f you’re the type of animal lover that doesn’t want
to really “pet” your pet, if you’re allergic to
felines, disliking of dogs or repulsed by reptilians,
then fish are the way to go. And what better way to
experience your fishy friends than in a natural
setting, like an outdoor pond?
When thinking of an outdoor fish pond, images of fancy
meditation gardens, giant water lilies and expensive
manmade waterfalls come to mind. But you don’t need to
be stacked with cash to pull off having a nice outdoor pond
setup. You can actually make it happen with a couple
hundred bucks and some good old-fashioned yard work.
“It all starts with a hole in the ground,” Aqua Serene
employee James Whisman says. “Once you dig your hole,
you can go with a preformed pond or pond liner.”
Whisman can often be found running around the rear
portion of the Aqua Serene store tending to the needs of
customers who are trying to purchase or upgrade their pond
equipment. He says that a small backyard fish pond is not
very hard to maintain, and that many people have them.
It’s cheapest to go with pond liner, as some of the
preformed ponds can get a little spendy, like up to $1,000.
Pond liner — which is basically a very thick rubber
membrane — goes for about 95 cents per square foot. So if
you’re backyard isn’t something out of an MTV Cribs
episode, don’t worry. You can still score a 10 by 10 piece of
liner for about $100.
You’ll need a filter and pump system. And although
there are a multitude of systems out there, a small backyard
pond can get away with only needing a simple drop-in filter
and pump. You can pick one up online for $100, or grab one
in a store for slightly more. And just like that, you can be
the proud new owner of a backyard pond. Adding water will
help. We suggest using a garden hose.
Once your pond is up and running, the last step is getting
your new pets. Goldfish and koi are world-renowned
favorites for outdoor ponds. These fish keep pretty well in
our weird Oregon weather, and they make great pets; they
eat stuff like wheat germ pellets and can be pretty friendly.
Her koi are kind of like friends, Junction City resident
and fish lover Pat Straube says, “and they are really easy to
take care of.”
Straube has a large outdoor pond with seven koi, some
of which are 3 feet long. She says that in the morning when
she wakes up to feed her fish, they know she is approaching
and swim to her. “They are very attentive and they like to
be cared for,” she says.
Pets are wonderful, they provide affection, companionship
and fulfillment. But let us not overlook the fact that we live
in hard times. Macroeconomic recession, food shortages and
evil factory farms are daunting realities. Sustainability is
paramount and your backyard pond (and fish) can help make
a difference, in terms of dinner.
According to Whisman, “In Oregon, raising tilapia or
trout is your best bet.”
Yes, that backyard pond could be your backyard surplus
of tasty organic food. Just make sure if you’re farming trout
to get a big strong pump. Trout need moving water, or their
meat becomes mushy. As for the tilapia, you will need to
obtain a permit from ODFW, as they are a controlled spe-
cies of fish in Oregon.
To be clear, we aren’t condoning the eating of pets.
We’re just pointing out that outdoor fishponds are a world
of fun and opportunity. So go check out your backyard, grab
a shovel and get the hose.
ew
KOI
Winners EUGENE WEEKLY’S PET CONTEST
Ruby
Visit eugeneweekly.com to see a gallery
of all the winners and runners-up
Winston Churchill and Bartholomew
all dressed for the Sabbath
BEST DRESSED
CUTEST
Amy the
Angry
Reindeer
UGLIEST
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
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Submitted
HONORABLE MENTION
EUGENE WEEKLY JULY 26, 2012 13