EEL thinks he's Mike Tyson

[novice150]

So I got my new aggressive going good, and ordered my fish from SWF.com. They all showed up on time and very healthy. The fish I ordered were, a small snowflake, a small pork puffer, and a small volitan lion, and I added them day befor yesterday.
I've had a small niger trigger in there while the tank finished its cycle. I had planned to get rid of him once I got the new fish, cause of what I've read on triggers and puffers.
Well it turns out (so far) that the trigger is not the problem. The eel is. I fed last night, and the Eel bit or tyed to bite every fish in the tank. He latched on the trigger so hard I thought he'd die.
Whats up with this? Are they always like this? Was he trying to establish his order in the tank? Or does he think he's Mike Tyson and all the others are little Holyfields?

 

[justchillin]

just curious...which tank are these guys in???

 

[novice150]

Oops. I need to change my profile one of these days. Theyre in the 100. Was gonna set up a 60. Changed my mind half way through, and bought a 100.

 

[goldfish]

The problem with eels is that they cannot see well--in fact they are almost blind.
When they go to get food they go by their keen sense of smell and motion. A possibility is that when you were feeding the tank your eel smelled the food, but your trigger was the "motion" and he went for it.
The same thing happened to me with my eel except he jumped at my hand! Just as I had fed the tank I put my hand in to get my veggie clip and WHAMMO! he got a hold of my finger! Yowza!!!!!
I'm sure he didn't mean to grab your trigger so hard, but his smeller was going a mile a minute and your trigger probably just got in front of him at the wrong time.

 

[pegboy]

My eel did the same when i first got him, he tried to taste everything (fish, rocks, me) in the tank when i first feed them. After a couple of days he learned what was food and what wasn't, he doesn't even bother the fish anymore. He only goes after the chopsticks i use to bring him his food.

 

[novice150]

I think you guys are right. Last night was better. It seems he only does this when he's real hungry. Since he was pretty hungry when I got him, I blame this. Also, you guys hit it on the head, when he bit my trigger, the trigger had a fish in his mouth. I guess I'll have to feed more carefully. Eel first that is.

 

[scubapro]

I have a snowflake eel (about 12") in with my crabs, damsels, shrimp, etc. He doesn't bother anything and eats alone after the rest are done. Is mine just well trained?