Passion Pit
I can’t stop thinking about this dude’s eel pit. Yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like.
Nick Tobler (@cowturtle) has become TikTok famous for the pit of eels he keeps under his house. He has them for no reason other than he finds it interesting.
I too, find it interesting. I watch his videos with equal parts disgust and amazement. How is this allowed? Can anyone have an underground pond? Of all creatures, why eels?
Every day more bad news comes across my newsfeed, and all I can think about is this pit. I’m more relaxed watching a basement full of eels than I am reading the news. That says everything you need to know about the state of the world.
Me and my friend trying to get the bartender’s attention
The Eel-lure
My fascination stems from a blatant desire to be distracted and an appreciation for strange hobbies. To me, Nick Tobler is a godsend.
I found “Eel Pit Guy” late in his journey. A tweet drew my attention to the day he was meant to receive his first dozen eels. For months he had been tending to the underground pond, complete with air ventilation, water filtration, and other fish.
He’s created a 5,000-gallon eel palace.
Since the eels were released, I’ve spent hours scrolling his account. I felt genuine glee when an outside salamander found his way into the pit. The first footage of an eel hunting a goldfish named Tater Tot made me squeamish.
Between eel updates, Tobler catches creatures in nearby wetlands. He oohs and aahs over amphibians, rodents, and fish with equal enthusiasm. His southern drawl calmly explains the significance of each species like a mellowed-out, slightly awkward, Steve Erwin.
He swapped “crikey” for “very cool” and Australia for Kentucky.
The more Tobler talks, the more I am pulled out of my day. I imagine eels wriggling into my brain and snacking on my to-do list. I let my mind get slippery as I scroll. Breaking news be damned! There are fish to watch.
Before I know it, my heart rate has come down, my stress has gone out the window, and I have lots of new facts to share that have nothing to do with gun control. I am coping with aquatic creatures.
R-eel-axation, if you will.
I’m not the only one entranced. @cowturtle has amassed over 400,000 followers on TikTok since March when he began building the pit under his house. The community of fish enthusiasts refer to him as Eel Daddy and have a penchant for puns. They’ve named his eels things like Mentally Eel, Steely Dan, and Crunchwrap Supreme.
In the comments, Eel Daddy patiently answers their questions about habitats, different species, and aquarium maintenance. He shares anecdotes about Ketchup the crawfish and his wife Mayonaise. He takes video requests to give updates on other fish in his collections. Tobler brings us into his private cave and lets us poke around.
For a brief moment, his followers can forget about the world and worry about the kinds of vegetation that would thrive underground. When we’re watching, upstairs ceases to exist.
Avoiding gas prices at all costs
The Man Downstairs
Eel Daddy himself is an enigma. Not only is this the weirdest hobby I’ve ever seen, but the images are distressing. There is nowhere on earth less inviting than a rainwater cistern turned eel cave. It’s even worse when you know that he must climb down a manhole to enter.
Haunting
Tobler has always wanted to keep eels. Before building his pond, he used to set eel traps. Now he’s living out his creepy eel dungeon fantasy. While most of us don’t understand the appeal of the eels (app-eel?), It’s fun to watch someone achieve their dreams
Eel Daddy is a lesson in manifestation.
Tobler seems to genuinely adore his setup. He wants to train the eels to eat from his hand. Whether he can tame them or not, Tobler is pleased to be in their company. Each video has him gushing about how cool it is to watch them. He frequently gets up in the middle of the night to check what they are up to.
I feel both creeped out and drawn to his tenderness.
While I scroll, there are sinking concerns I can’t avoid. What if he wants to move? Can he leave it for vacation? What happens if the eels outlive him? Most importantly, how many other people are keeping eel pits?
While Tobler himself isn’t concerned - he nonchalantly says that he’ll take the eels with him and “won't acknowledge” the pit left behind if he moves - I can’t help but feel stressed for him.
To be fair, I feel stressed for everyone.
My hobbies cause me anxiety. I have been building my own swamp of tasks. The foundation of this blog has grown to be its own ecosystem. I’m proud of it, but I’m spending my days and hours in a swampy basement of my own making. There’s always more to add: an Instagram post to make, a merch order to fulfill, or a ton of edits due on Sunday.
While I don’t ever want to stop, I have to acknowledge that my old life lives outside this cave. I made my pit, and now I’m drowning in it. On the other side of the manhole, friends, sunshine, and fun await.
There’s a cave allegory in there somewhere…
When people ask me about writing, I immediately list the challenges: it’s gruelling, I never feel done, I’m still not used to putting myself out there. When Nick Tobler was asked his advice on keeping eels, he replied: “Do it. It's really easy. It's fun.”
@Cowturtle’s account is teaching me to find the joy of sitting with what you’ve created. I’m forever striving to relax on a folding chair in a rain cistern under my house and simply enjoy the presence of my eels.
Or, you know, a prettier version of that.
All the dudes in the back of the club.
Into the Pit
Throughout this article, I was struggling to find the point. I’m obsessed with some guy and his eels. Who cares?
I tried to write about bigger stories. I jotted down a few lines about Roe vs Wade, but I didn’t have the words to articulate how I feel. I thought maybe I could go into depth about R. Kelly’s conviction, but I found myself bobbing around the surface. I don’t have the energy to slog through any more bad news. I consistently found myself caught under a wave of TikTok videos instead.
Honestly, it was soothing.
As one commenter writes,
The only thing that doesn't make me want to cry today. I love them all and I appreciate you keeping us along for the journey 🍻
I’m personally latching onto whatever will keep me afloat in this shit storm. Whether it’s eels, trashy tv, beach reads, or ice cream, I hope you’ve found something to help you cope too.
In the end, the point of this piece is a simple one: before you can take on the world, you need to tend to your own pit.
