eelpatrickharris:

friendly reminder that, if you take proper care of your eels and keep them in a big tank with lots of hiding places, they will never feel the need to hide in the sand

instead, they’ll either sit at the front of the tank and wait for you to walk in the room, or they’ll all noodle out of the woodwork they were napping in when they find out you’re there

eels will only bury in the sand if they’re scared or threatened and have nowhere else to hide. thanks for coming to my ted talk

This goes for all sneaky fish prone to hiding. All fish will hide sometimes, but every fish in the world will be much more confident if they have enough cover. The more cover they have, the safer they feel, and the more you see them. 

Moray eels very frequently sit in their holes, that’s just what they do, but even they will stick more of their bodies out and come out more when they feel safe.