In response to dwf73...
I go to petco very rarely. I only got that eel there because it's the only place in town that ever has them. There is only two specialty stores in this town. One of them is only open like four hours a week, and the other isn't impressing me. They are very knowledgable, but I haven't had much luck with their fish. They usually die the next day. In this town, petsmart is the way to go. Although it's a big chain, the employees seem to know something and keep the fish in good shape. Petco...well, most of their tanks are diseased or laoded with dead fish. On the rare occasion that I buy from them, I spend a good fifteen minutes checking out the tank and the other fishes in it before actually buying one. However, I didn't notice the eye thing with that eel until I got him home. Oh well, can't fix it now. In short, yes, it's a matter of not having anyplace else to go.