Oscars: Not for the beginning fishkeeper

This year marks my 20th year as a fish aquarium hobbyist. I'll never forget the excitement of getting that first aquarium - the 20 gallon that my parents bought for me in 1987. It's a hobby I've loved ever since. I've kept nearly every kind of tropical fish you can imagine, including tame choices like mollies, platties and guppies and more exotic specimen such as the piranha, fancy goldfish and, finally, the Oscar.

I feel like my years as an tropical fish hobbyist have been building up to this. Make no mistake - keeping an Oscar is hard work. Not only do they grow rapidly, demanding larger and larger tanks and ever-better filtration systems. They are also feisty, messy and tempermental. But that's just part of their amazing personalities.

Keeping Chief Brody happy is a full-time job. Consider the partial water changes that occur weekly. The twice-daily feedings. The weekly water testing (five different tests each time!). It's a lot of work, but I enjoy it and find it worthwhile.

I love that people read this blog and enjoy themselves. Some of you perhaps even consider getting an oscar of your own. But I want you, dear readers, to understand that a lot of work takes place behind the scenes. If you have never kept fish before, an oscar is not a wise first choice.