I wish I was close by I'd pick up some of those fish and a tank or two. But mostly I want you to start loving it again. I get it on the fish loss. I just lost an old electric blue that was one of my fav's. And yes, more tanks means more work. I only have 3 and it's exhausting sometimes. I hope you bounce back, find your passion and start having fun again. If it means one big ass fish, so be it. Thanks for the update.

Glad you are back. I can hear in your voice that you are over it. I feel the same way about African cichlids. I'm slowly switching over to Discus. Best of luck.

Always enjoyed your videos Steve. Hope you find the excitement in the hobby again.

I've been burned out a few times over 30 years. I suggest shutting the tanks down downstairs...but don't sell them. Try a different type of freshwater fish after Christmas. It's ok to take a break.

I have been that way before, i mean i literally sold off all my excess stuff and worked my way down to one or two tanks. Then changed from africans to nano fish and planted tanks and headed towards discus, thanks for sharing friend have a great day brother man and good luck.

Take a break, man. You are lucky to have a family, a job, a LIFE outside of fish. Some people don’t... The cool thing about this hobby is that it draws you back in eventually, when you’re ready. Cheers!

Went through the same thing in Saltwater about 8 years ago, it can become a job for sure. Best to sell before all your tanks start going south. Good luck

All tanks looking great! Your upstairs tank had some outstanding specimens!

Good to see you back! I totally understand where you're coming from. It happens. I feel the same way about having a fish room. It can quickly become a job when you have a life lol. I did what you're doing now. I sold off a lot of tanks and only kept what I could maintain and still maintain a healthy relationship with my family. In time you'll get your groove back. Btw your 220 looks amazing overstocked. I would love to see it with the regular lights on. Take care.

Totally understand what you are going through. Like some have suggested - Shut them down, but you may want to hang on to the tanks in case you find a new type of fish to be excited about. : -)

Been feeling the same way at times off and on. Just busy with kids and work no time for maintenance water changes and filter mantaince it just adds up. I'm starting to reduce my fish and tanks as well. Not ready to quit just get it back to were I enjoy it more. Hope you figure it out. For what it's worth you had a bad ass setup. What ever you decide I still be watching take care.

I appreciate you being real and doing this video. So often on social media people are trying to fake it for status, views and likes. This keeps it real. I think I might be in your shoes if I were to do a similar breeding system. Most of the fun would be in the setup. Especially if it was some dark out of the way room. One way to improve it might be to make a nice looking rack placed where it can be viewed and enjoyed as well as functional.

I am in the same mind frame as you right now. Right down to getting a big South American cichlid instead but I've become attached to my peacocks so I can't bring myself to do it. The constant large water changes and maintenance does make it feel like another job. Please keep us posted on what you decide to do

Yep. I get it. Basement tanks are hard. Your old 90 is in my basement and mostly automated, clean as can be but I hardly see it. I setup a sumpless reef tank upstairs and growing corals might be the answer, it was for me. It takes more patience, and is a constant project.

Hey Steve good to see a vid from you! I totally understand what you mean. I think you should just change things up a bit and bring the excitement back. I have a big and beautiful green terror that I absolutely adore he's very interactive with what goes on outside the tank, and nibble and plays with my hand alot. Hes always flaring at me when I walk in the room. Maybe you should go over to some new world cichlids I'm sure you will love them and they will definitely get you excited about the hobby once again.

You told the living truth. The dark side of fish keeping (pet keeping in general) is the incessant time, resources, and money to maintain everything. I'm rather glad I can't have more tanks in my current household, due to space & budget constraints. It's allowed me to see the reality that multiple tanks can quickly lead to more work than pleasure.

Great to hear and you video!

Nothing wrong with two beautiful show tanks upstairs

Missed you my friend.

Missed you man. Hope all has been well

Glad to see you back steve👍🏻 in regard to you been a little bored with the hobby, maybe switch it up a little? Fish in the 125 & 220 look awesome

Steve, I get it man, I don't know how youtubers that are married with kids and real jobs have time for all the videos and projects. When you did that crawl space tank, I was thinking holy cow, that is a ton of effort and time! Maybe when I retire, I'll make more videos myself, but I agree, keep it simple and break most everything down. Your wife and kids will appreciate it and maybe later in life you can expand from there. Then you will appreciate the one tank you have. The other thing you touched on about losing African cichlids is a big unspoken problem in this hobby. The all male African cichlid tanks are just doomed from the get go. It is such a high stress environment- in the wild, male vs male competitions naturally balance out because the less dominant can just swim away. In a tank- they are forced to do battle where the other males will constantly live in fear and flight from the dominant males. The end result is a much shorter life span and we just end up losing many fish over the long run. The happiest I have seen any african cichlid is where there are appropriate male to female ratios and plenty of space. I think you can attest to that with your breeding groups. Those are some happy males in there it seems. For me, I still have my mixed African cichlid tank. I've slowly been reducing the stock to more and more mbuna with way more females than males. Last Steve, you should take note of all the people you have helped over the years with your videos. That in itself is a major accomplishment and you should be proud of that.

Yup, I love the setting up and building aquarium stuff but don't love the maintenance part-time job it creates.

Damn bro! You depressed me on a day I really wanted to hear about your cool setups! I understand the point you're at though. I hope you feel better and life leads you in the direction you need to be in. PEACE ✌!

happens bud, that's kinda why I try to switch it up. I'm really loving peacock bass and my Madagascar group currently. Also predator haps. Glad to see you posting a vid.

Love the 220!

Mine used to jump out of the top of the tank! I would come in & look in the tank & 1 or 2 would be missing & started looking around on the floor & sure enough they would be there.

Hey Steve, Know how you feel, I feel the same way sometimes. Just keep the two big tanks, I would suggest six Star Saphire's and six exochromis agenysis and a few synodontis in the 125 and a Frontosa Moba group with some comps, julies and synodontis in your big tank. No breeding, just feed and do an occasional water change. Good luck.

good Video ... from very long time.. one question how you maintain your water quality soo Good????

i have been in your shoes, but i think its not just bored, its about keeping it up especially when cichlid start breeding like rabbits. You kind of stuck how and what we going to do with the new offspring

Great video! Question: Do you know if I can feed african cichlids cleaned/washed off hair algae taken from a healthy reef tank?

Hi just wondering whats in your fx6?

I can come from Chicago but I'd like to convince you to stick with it first.

Hi Steve, maybe a change of what fish you keep may spice things up :) I was getting a bit tired of breeding peacocks after 18 months and moved to South Amercian catfish, L number catfish in particular to change things up. Cheers Jess 😆

Hello! Do you use a uv sterilizer? If so, which one?

My cichlids are not eating sinking pellet (Northfin) but love to eat floating pellet . Any idea to make them eat sinking pellet?

I imagine this is what depression is like

Hello Steve... I have friends that life in Columbus Ohio. I am looking for a canister filter and/or a 55 Gallon tank. Please, let me know if you are looking to get rid of both or either and if so, how much? Wish you all the best in whatever your future endeavors are! Rob

Hey man, do what you gotta do ✌

Where can I find a pink dragon blood like yours. All I find is orange

Would you ship fish that are downstairs. I would like a couple

I don't blame you seems like a lot of work for a hobby

What substrate do you use

might need to keep some fish instead of breeding them,change it up a bit

Woooww where u been bro....umm do you think if u set ur tanks up as all show tanks,,you may like ur fishroom better.....like King of DIY..

How much would you want for the dragon blood group

Give me a price for the whole set up

What I learn in this hobby is, once you start making money, it becomes a job not a hobby anymore. I switch from African cichlids to large sa/ca cichlids. Way more fun. But we all go through this depression with all hobbies.

Hi bro which food you feed African cichlids

Start a reef... you won't be bored anymore :)

When things you do feels like a job then you should really just shut it down. Your passion has died.

Switch to flowerhorn please

Get a flowerhorn

I see this all the time, people get in and out of the hobby. If you were breeding rare or difficult to spawn species, it's much more rewarding than Africans..

Please tell me you have some white lips for sale I'm looking for one

It's good to hear from you again Steve

Shut it down for now. Sell off the fish but keep the equipment and tanks. Just incase in 6 months time you want to return 🙂

You obviously don't love fish, if your able to get bored with a fish room then you don't really love the hobby

I am not intereste remove this please