Eel escape!!

[pcfriedrich]

Holy cow! Yesterday, I looked in my tank and didn't see my g. tile. I didn't think much of it, just figured he was coiled up in the lace rock (although I can usually see at least part of his body). This morning, I wake up to my wife screaming (I figured we were just out of coffee or creamer or somethin), so I come downstairs and she's pointing in the corner yelling "the eel got out, its dead!" Anyway, long story short, the eel wasn't dead. In fact, it tried to bite me when I picked it up (nobody warned me that was gonna happen). The eel is fine.

my question: How can I prevent this from happening again? (please say get a bigger tank, please say get a bigger tank...).

 

[basstank]

i think a bigger tank would be a great idea!

 

[pcfriedrich]

Well, that does it. I'm gonna have to tell my wife the bad news. We are gonna have to make the sacrifice and get a bigger tank. For the sake of the fish...

 

[pcfriedrich]

but seriously, how can I prevent escape til I can get a new tank? the tank has two hob filters that fit tight, end to end. he must have crawled over one of them. He didn't open the lid on the hood, did he?

 

[pcfriedrich]

, I just made a couple of offers on craigslist. $45 on a 45 gallon, and $45 on a 50 gallon. not sure if the 50 has a stand. hopefully 50% more swimming room will help (although he doesn't swim much. just sits there most of the time, but goes crazy for about 30 seconds at a time every now and then.

really, the most reasonable thing to do would be to wait til I get my 120+ for my cichlids, and let my eel and gsp inherit the current cichlid tank.

 

[fishtex]

The answer to should I get a bigger tank is always Yes! Double stick tape and trim to fit plexiglass is what I used to eel proof my tank.

 

[pcfriedrich]

It would help the cause with my wife, though, if I got a bunch of 'experts' on here saying 'the footprint and height of your tank is too small. if the eel had more swimming room, this kind of thing wouldn't happen'.

 

[fishtex]

the footprint and height of your tank is too small. if the eel had more swimming room, this kind of thing wouldn't happen.