Why are garden eels sold so regularly?

[Tnops]

I have been to a couple of my LFS and I’ve seen large quantities of garden eels in stock every few weeks. The thing I’m confused about is who is buying these? From what I’ve heard they require a specialized tank with a 9 inch or so sand bed and not many people have that. Are people just buying them blindfolded for their tanks to die?

It seems like garden eels are more common than royal grammas these days, at least in my LFSs

 

[Spare time]

Welcome to the wildlife trade.

They are not common in the hobby, and I doubt they are selling them to tanks that are actually suitable. I don't know the clientele of this store, and it could be that they do in fact have the right customers, but it is not common for people to have the right tanks for these. Given that you are in Queens, a NYC store may have the actual clientele for this.

Many stores sell animals that are extremely delicate or unsuitable for captivity in most cases outside of proper zoos/aquariums (think large parrots, all primates, exotic invertebrates or very large fish in our hobby).

 

[dedragon]

I have been to a couple of my LFS and I’ve seen large quantities of garden eels in stock every few weeks. The thing I’m confused about is who is buying these? From what I’ve heard they require a specialized tank with a 9 inch or so sand bed and not many people have that. Are people just buying them blindfolded for their tanks to die?

It seems like garden eels are more common than royal grammas these days, at least in my LFSs

Where? I mostly see them at new york reef aquatic (NYRA) but they are in a dedicated tank with a dsb last time i was there

 

[SlugSnorter]

I have been to a couple of my LFS and I’ve seen large quantities of garden eels in stock every few weeks. The thing I’m confused about is who is buying these? From what I’ve heard they require a specialized tank with a 9 inch or so sand bed and not many people have that. Are people just buying them blindfolded for their tanks to die?

It seems like garden eels are more common than royal grammas these days, at least in my LFSs

honestly, probably the latter. I haven't seen them in any LFS though.