Practical joke

[zapatower]

I am shop assistant in a pet shop, moreover other things. The work could be a continuous routine, but, occasionally appear a new employee,good opportunity of break with this routine. In this occasion, a young boy. In one tank had 4 electric catfish about 2,5", then I made up a lie, I explained to him that they have a heavy spines in your fins, so, He didn't uses the hand net. When, He introduced your hands inside of aquarium and received a electric pulse, He jumped for fright and screamed very strong AUCH!!!!, after he smiled because I laugher to guffaw. First, I tryed to hold one of them, I noted the pulses in my hand, my hand began to shake. Not try this at home.
The adult electric catfish malapterurus electricus can produce a discharge up to 350 volts.

 

[Fat Homer]

I'm a little confused by your story...

So basically a new employee started at your shop, so you tricked him by telling him something about the electric catfish so that he would stick his hand in the tank, then he got shocked and you laughed?

Thats that sound about right?

 

[Adrianm]

LOL

 

[seedubs1]

Sounds like a potential lawsuit to me.....

Why don't you try some non painful pranks.

We used to tie a jar of all the change to the cash drawer with fishing line so that the first customer of the day would come in, the cash drawer would open, and all of the change would spill on the floor.

Or tie the phone cord together super short so they can't pick up the phone. First call of the day, and they have issues trying to pick up the phone.

 

[barracuda123]

That sounds harsh. Lol

We used to put salt in other's drinking water or tea bit never tool it this far...

 

[CatfishLuver]

If you pick him up and he only gave you pulses, you are extremely lucky. He was emitting a low voltage charge that he uses to sense things with, either that or he was tired from you making him discharge earlier. If he gave you his high voltage charge for deffense and offense you probably wouldn't have thought it was so funny. I have done extensive research with this species and have been full shock many times (non-provoked, accidental) and the worst of the times I ended up laying on the floor, shaken up for 5 minutes, and having pain in my arm for the day. This was a very stupid thing to do and maybe your store should be looking for a new manager. Not trying to be mean but when you have potentially dangerous animals (stingrays, E-cats, and posionous fish) you have to be knowledgable about the species, use saftey precuations, and above all be resposible for your saftey and any others around it.

 

[knifegill]

Bwah-hah! At 2.5 inches, their strongest zap feels like a handshake buzzer. It's a very fine prank all around, and perfectly safe unless you're the catfish.

 

[Petahhd]

If the dude had like a pacemaker or something, you could have kill him lol.

 

[CatfishLuver]

The OP said there were two 5" catfish not 2.5", but regardless at that size it can still hurt a bit. I was refering to much larger speciemens in my post. And notice you said perfectly safe unless your the catfish. I don't know about you but I don't like to harm my fish. When you touch a fish it takes off some of their slime coat which protects them from bacteria and infections. Would you like to be thrown in the snow naked? In this instance it wasn't that big of a deal, but I was trying to make a point that if you are taking can of potenitally dangerous animals you need to be responsible, know the saftey precautions, and have the animals well being in mind. You don't see zoos showing how a spitting cobra spitts by provoking it it spit for every person that walks by. My point are extreme and exaggerated but in the same principle. IT takes alot of energy for an E- cat to make a max discharge and and provoking it to do it multiple times is bad for the fishes health. I am always more concerned about my fishes health than a quick laugh.

 

[zapatower]

Yes. But, I didn't explain nothing regard electric catfish to him. It was a surprise.

I'm a little confused by your story...

So basically a new employee started at your shop, so you tricked him by telling him something about the electric catfish so that he would stick his hand in the tank, then he got shocked and you laughed?

Thats that sound about right?