Northern Kentucky man builds eel pit in home drawing in millions of followers on TikTok

By ASHLEY KIRKLEN

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    WILDER, Kentucky (WLWT) — Each home on one Northern Kentucky block has what’s called an underground rain cistern.

It used to be used to store rainwater, which would then be turned into fresh drinking water.

Now, one man has found a much different use for it and the internet is eating it up.

Nick Tobler, known to his social media followers as CowTurtle, has built quite the amphibian sanctuary inside and outside of his home.

From a Leopard Gecko, to a Polypterus Endilcheri and his Goyder River Rainbow Fish.

Also among Nick’s pets, an Australian Lung Fish, Indian star tortoises and tarantulas.

So you may wonder why does he have all of these living things inside his home?

“So I’ve just always been doing it. Ever since I was a kid. I was just out in the woods catching stuff, bringing stuff home,” Tobler said.

The recent NKU grad says he’s always worked in pet stores, and when he and his brother moved into his grandmother’s old home he found a new use for the bottom part of the house.

“The very first video I posted was a week before we moved into this house, I see the manhole corner in the corner of my garage, I was like, oh cool, my house comes with a future eel pond,” Tobler said.

When Nick posted about putting in his eel pond, his followers went from about 200 to over 400,000 followers.

So far Nick’s eel pond with almost a dozen eels and goldfish is flourishing.

You can follow his social media CowTurtle for all kinds of updates and developments.

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