fish keeping is so addicting. I think there's just this relaxing feeling you get from watching fish (and shrimp in my case) do their thing in an environment you've created for them. it's pretty rewarding in that sense.
27:00 - That really summarizes my feeling about the hobby. Don't keep fish just to keep fish; find a handful of species that you are really passionate about and spend time working with those. And Mel's philosophy of having fewer, larger aquariums is my kind of thinking. I can really admire his dedication to his fish as well; the water changes he was talking about on those two 600s were crazy. But on the other side of that, you can spend hours in a day watching one tank, and you could do a tank every day for a week, and then be right back to the first one again, with something to compare it to from the week before. My dream fish room has four tanks in it, comparable in size. I'll have to spend some time sifting through his videos; he and I seem to have similar ideas on the fish-keeping philosophy, and I really love the big nasty Central Americans to boot, with a particular soft spot for jags. For Cory: thanks for touring his fish room, and shooting a great-quality hour-long video about a great individual in the hobby. And for Mel; thanks for hosting Aquarium Co-op, letting them shoot your tanks, and spending some time sharing some of your vast knowledge of a really great group of fish with the Internet. There are a lot of great guys and great fish rooms on the Internet, but you certainly will stick out in my mind.
That story about the red devil he saved when he was cleaning out the sump was awesome. I only have hurt one of my fish by accident and it makes you want to keep them and get them healthy.
Mel, thanks for showing off your fish and tanks, and stories. Truly magnificent. Also, thanks Cory for putting this together for the rest of us. Take care.
I’m finally watching this video and it’s honestly inspiring. You can see his passion for the hobby in his daily routine and how he discusses it. Thanks for sharing Cory.
I've probably seen thousands of aquarium related videos over a decade, and this is still my favorite of all time. Mel's wonderful storytelling together with the excellent video footage of these well maintained big cichlid tanks.
Thanks for the hour long, nicely made documentary/interview....I have been following Mel's channel for sometime now and always wanted to put a face to the voice. Thanks for sharing.
+Aquarium Co-Op Nope, like a true hobbyists he only shows his fish in the videos and occasionally his cat will do a cameo...lol and the fish tank glare of his face does not count...thanks again
Cory, there are times to talk and times to just sit back and listen.... This is one of those times. I bet you could sit and listen to him for hours. Great video. Great Job....
I've used pears for my bushynose plecos... also spinach and squash, but never tried peas before...I do love learning things which is the primary reason I watch your videos...! I'm loving it...! Keep up your educational awesomeness...!!!
i like that Mel doesn't get his kicks off of LED lighting. There are no LEDs in the Amazon River Basin. Beautiful subtrate at 34:50. It blends w/ the fish very well! Great food list info! This is a once in a lifetime interview!
OMG. I am blown away by this guys dedication to the hobby. I don't keep dovii but I truly enjoyed this video in terms of his passion on one species. It is just amazing. Thanks for the video. One of your best.
Anyone else start lookin for red dovii?. Cory check out a guy's vids named Mauricio Parra. Hes got a breeding pair in i think costa rica. They could be more attainable then Mel realizes!
built back In the day locally so it was done by someone with care and not a company shitting out quotas. makes sense why its still perfect. little company makes crap tanks closes make great ones and he'll live a comfortable life. is it just me or does it sound like that guy needed to clear his throat throught the whole video
I envy you so much, being able to sit down with Mel and just talk. He is the GOAT and you get to just relax and chat with him. Honestly, he inspired me into the hobby and that helped with depression. I am missing his vids and am very saddened with no updates. But all things change.
guapotemel is his youtube channel and he is an absolute scholar when it comes to CA and SA cichlids. Thanks for sharing man! Oh and by the way, nice intro!
Wow, what a fantastic video. You had me hooked for the whole hour! So relaxing just looking at those amazing tanks and fish and listening to his stories. You've got yourself a new subscriber! Best wishes from the UK.
I loved this upload, this man's love for his fish and the care that love involves made me feel less of a nutjob about my absolute love of everything fishkeeping related. Salute.
Awesome! WOW! Love seeing someone that into the fish and the hobby! So cool to have such large tanks with such few fish. Rare, and the only way to see natural behavior!
40s are great if you don't have the space for big tanks.. for a while I had nothing but some 40s , few 55gal & a 75 gal... Had all kinds of fun with them AND had them handy to turn into sump filters when I got my bigger tanks & ponds!
I love the fact that the tanks have no green edges they're crystal clear. Very nice they most cost a fortune a friend fish would kill for are you, super cool.
wow, i'm sitting there and watching your video, and then you guys sit in front of the 1000 Gal tank and after a while it hits you WOW i am looking at a 1000 Gal tank.. WOW A Great Video!!!
Mel is awesome! What a wealth of knowledge, great stories, super interesting to listen to. He is a legend. I've been subscribed to his channel for years now, I just wish he would make more videos! Thanks for sharing this with us.
I wonder if he has ever had a fish jump out from one of those large tanks? Heavenly massive tanks and fish for sure. Thank u Corey for this video! Loved it!
I've never seen or heard of this guy, but he is a fucking legend. This is how you keep fish. Know what you like and master it. Know that aesthetically pristine doesn't necessarily mean functionally pristine. My goal for my fish keeping career is to amass the knowledge and experience this guy has. Great video.
It's really nice that you interviewed another guy who had already been on RU-vid, and was comfortable with the camera and all of that(as some of your other fish room tours seem a little nervous). The laid-back style of conversation that the two of you were having, just looking at an enormous aquarium, add another level of appreciation to an already impressive fish room. The natural-seeming element to the whole thing counted for a lot. Great job.
It just got recommended to me (I guess youtube knows that I've been addicited to the aqua coops videos). I loved the video and after watching it I went to check out this guys channel and noticed that he DID get the red dovii after all these years. It literaly made my day.
Awesome video, Mel is one of the true all time great's when it comes to fish keeping and stories. . . Back in the day I always wanted a true Red Dovii myself. I even discussed it with Don Conkel on my channel years ago. . . Thanks for sharing ! ! !
Gorgeous set up. I also lost my monster Dovii a few months back, I can really relate to how he feels, unreal fish. I would never recommend them to anyone, my 240 gallon was too small. If I ever got another batch of fry and grew another bull out I'd probably do a 500 gallon setup like this.
Yeah, I wish there was a video like 2 dovii males, one grown in a 240 and one in a 500g or something, same auto feeder and water change schedule to measure differences.
Chatted to Mel countless times, without sounding like a fan he’s a bit of a cichlid god , there’s sometime in life people who take things to different levels, that’s Mel and fish keeping
Hey Aquarium Co-Op I'm 12 and I have an African Cichlid (Electric Yellow) breeding pair. I got 20+ fry from the female and I let her release them naturally in a breeding box in a different tank that has 20 neon tetras (80 litres. My big tank is 150 litres) and I want to know what to feed the fry. I'm planning of getting 2 more 120 litre tanks. I'm also turning 13 on September 5th. I love your videos and I have been keeping fish for at least 6 years.