iCloud Contacts out of space?

I have 8000+ contacts in iCloud. I use it for personal and business. I hav spent 30 years on a Mac and have tried ot save everyone's contact. Lately some weird things have been happening. many of my contacts lose their photo. I use the photo so when I get and email or text from someone I know, I can automatically tell its them and I know them. I'm also a visually and it helps me remember who they are.

These photos randomly disappear. Sometime when I open the contact on my Mac and click on it, in the detail view it appears. I adjust it, and save and it keeps the pic. Sometimes for a minute, sometimes forever, sometimes not at all. Some disappear minutes later. Some will absolutely not save the photo. I was then adding the contact to iCloud online instead of to my Contacts App on themas. I get an error message

Contact not saved.

Your contact photos are using too much storage or you have too many contacts.

Learn more about iCloud limits for Contacts.

WHAT? I'm supposed to be able to save 50,000 contacts. Yes the photos take some space but common Apple!

ALSO, I seem to be losing contacts altogether. THIS IS A NO GO. I DEPEND on my contacts, I need that to be Rock Solid.

Anyone help? Yes, I tried all the synching, deleting and reloading etc. It seems like iCloud is the problem.