Need Help In Keeping SilverFish As Pets...>

[sekmet022]

Im not sure how to go about keeping silverfish as pets, but god forbid if they ever escape their enclosure XD; My house has a silverfish infestation and even after tenting the house, theyre still lurking about. They do seem to like glue or glue-like substances. A cut up piece of flooring carpet in a hardwood room was essentially infested by the things. They also dont have ready access to moisture yet are still proliferating, so im not sure moisture is a big deal for their survival.

 

[sean2222]

Same thing with roaches or anything else. They're not 100% without merit though, since roaches can get into some yucky things and trudge it across your fruit bowl and silver fish have been found eating book bindings and such.



Does anyone actually know what the average life span of a Silverfish is? Maybe your problem is collecting already mature specimens.

Hi,
Most of my fish are healthy and prospering now so there are NO issues for me other than finding some food to feed them as in the past I mentioned they always got sick from ANY food I fed so I am hesitant to even try it. They are getting water everyday or every other day now and it has made he difference! But that "super fish" I mentioned months ago is acting strange. He's getting water everyday as a precaution but he continues to revert back to what he used to be when I first found him. ALL of these fish have simply slowed down and toned down their speed (and activity levels) after being in captivity it seems. But for some reason my favorite fish has turned back into the speed demon again. Where he is aggressive, sharp as a tack, and moves 100 mph. He takes what he wants and then shuts it off and won't move at all when he deems it necessary. This fish has always marched to his own drum. However I am concerned that this change in behavior back to being what he used to be when I got him new might be a sign he is sick. Many times I have had fish suddenly start getting overly energetic and erratic and it led to them dying. But that was from lack of water. This fish is getting the water and he doesn't have any movement issues or anything wrong. He's just moving much faster like he once did and he is once again head and shoulders above any of the other fish in intelligence, speed, energy, etc.... I just pray him reverting back to his former self isn't a sign of sickness....

 

[sean2222]

I agree. Try a big plastic box of sorts or something.
And give substrate a go. I think they would benefit from hiding spots and the substrate keeping a bit of moisture, I think especially for young that might be necessary. My isopods have all their babies hidden inside the substrate while the adults usually wander on top of it. Maybe that could be important?
Also try feeding some fish food like flakes and gammarus (as a calcium source)

Hi I'm still clueless what "substrate" is, what it does, an dhow to buy any. As far as fish flake food, again I am hesitant to try feeding any of this or any other food to these fish as I have had MANY fish instantly get sick in the past from all of these foods for NO reason.And my fish are all doing well on just water/moisture so why mess with a winning formula now ? Also what is Gammarus? Is it a special type diet for them? I read on the net it was like shrimps and many other crustacean species? Thanks.

 

[sean2222]

Im not sure how to go about keeping silverfish as pets, but god forbid if they ever escape their enclosure XD; My house has a silverfish infestation and even after tenting the house, theyre still lurking about. They do seem to like glue or glue-like substances. A cut up piece of flooring carpet in a hardwood room was essentially infested by the things. They also dont have ready access to moisture yet are still proliferating, so im not sure moisture is a big deal for their survival.

Well I'll put it to you this way. For those who believe that water/moisture isn't important to these silverfish... I tried for almost 3 years straight to keep them as pets. And 100% of them died. Hundreds of them died. Until I discovered what it was that they were missing to keep them alive. I started putting water droplets on toilet paper and giving it to them in their cups (everyday or every 2 days) and voila, almost 100% of them now survive for months! Before that they ALL died in a week or less. So I would say the water/moisture makes a difference

 

[Arachnoclown]

When I was much younger I use to roof houses. I would find thousands of them between the roofing and the plywood decking. If you can set up some way to trap them you could probably get alot if you have an attic or access to one??? Just a thought.

 

[Ghoul]

Substrate is something that covers the ground, such as simple earth, which you could moisture with a spray bottle or simply adding a bit of water to the ground when it starts to look dry (but carefully cuz you don't want to drown them in mud) I'd try to experiment if you have a fish to spare and see how they do. Would need a bit more space too, maybe a plastic box with a few pinholes in the lid for air. Add a nice layer of earth (make sure there's no centipedes or such inside) and keep it moist. That should give them some humidity.

SO I looked more into their natural diet, looks like they consume matter that contains polysaccharides, such as starches. So things you can try to feed them would be bread, pasta, oatmeal, cereals, rice, wheat, anything with grains. For veggies peas, corn, potatoes, also dried beans give some proteins as well.

Gammarus are a type of shrimp that often gets used as fish food, dried gammarus would be a nice addition for them to get chitin for their exoskeleton. Since they seem to also eat bug remains dried gammarus would be an easy to get alternative.

 

[sean2222]

Hi Happy Holidays!
I want to thank everyone for their advice but I would still love reading whatever experiences you might want to share about keeping silverfish insects as pets! I was horrified to do a google search looking for info. on how to take care of them as pets, only to find clear cut concise "instructions" on how to kill them instead. And then a million products specifically came up that kill them and roaches. How can people be so heartless and uncaring towards a creature that means them no harm? And in reality, makes almost as good of a pet as an actual swimming fish. But much easier to keep!

As an update, my 11 surviving fish are mostly doing great! Half of them have molted. Some of them a few times already! However, NONE of them have grown at all! In fact, some appear to have shrunk I fear they will never grow any larger than how I found them But one albino fish I got has been a problem from day one. He just refuses to move around or do anything. He won't play with me, he won't take the water 90% of the time, he just won't do anything. I have had to literally stick him with some pointy toilet paper cylinders I made. That's pretty sad. I hate to do that (as you can feel the pain they go through when they are touched) but he and this one other fish have just gone limp many times. I'm thinking of getting rid of him. Just throwing him back to the wall crevices where he came from and let him make do. He doesn't seem very happy here... But conversely I might use him as a guinea pig for the foods suggested here and substrate. He's a disappointment. The baby fish has surprisingly kept on doing well. I've lost every other baby to sickness. He's a tough one, like many of my other small fish! My favorite superfish is going well but now has some company in the fact that about 3 others have gone super as well. So now a few of my fish are going 100 mph (and loaded with new found energy) inexplicably. So, again, as precaution I give them all water everyday. But as soon as I see any sign of irregular erratic behavior/movements I take heart... I have truly built a bond with most of my fish and I really love having them as pets!

 

[GreyDog]

Sounds like they aren’t thriving, so I’m in the boat of increase habitat size, provide substrate and hides and don’t overcrowd them.

 

[Ghoul]

Sounds like they aren’t thriving, so I’m in the boat of increase habitat size, provide substrate and hides and don’t overcrowd them.

Yeah and also feed them, they can only survive without food for a year so it's important they get something.

 

[Hisserdude]

Here are a couple of articles that mention how to successfully rear silverfish, they don't sound that hard to maintain it seems:

Here and Here.

 

[sean2222]

Hello a few more questions...

If I feed them those goldfish flake food, then how much do I give per one fish? An dhow often do they get fed? I know with regular goldfish they would get sick if fed too much food and these insects don't eat much at all... Not thriving? They've been living great the way I have them for months and months now Now they aren't being overcrowded as there is one per cup. I noticed in the past when I tried to put more than one together they ended up killing each other a day later.

Also when they get some water (droplets on top of folded up toilet paper i give them) , I was curious about their reactions. Sometimes they go in contact with the water and they act like they just took a happy drug and are "high". Then other times, they act like there is something wrong with it and they run away and start doing funny things like trying to climb the cup to avoid it when they aren't even near it But most of the time, they will be all riled up (looking for food, etc) they get the water and it seems to act like a sleep/relaxation drug. They get very docile and stop moving and stay where they are near the water forever. What do these fish reactions mean and why does water have such a profound effect?

Finally, my favorite fish got hurt again. I made a mistake and dropped a medium sized vitamin container (empty) and it hit the floor and rolled over the cup with my fish in it and turned it over. My fish was underneath of a folded up paper at the time Similar things have happened to him and other fish before and they usually get over it and get better. I think it's mostly traumatic, but no physical damage. I didn't see how hard this container hit the cup and where it connected. I am hoping he wasn't on the side of the cup at the time where the container connected. But my fish is not behaving as usual and not acting as super as he usually does. Hiss energy level is about half as much... Do you think he'll recover here? I see no movement issues or anything wrong. But he's just not himself the last 2 days and is doing some irregular things by his standards... I can't live without this fish... I could get over losing any of my others, but NOT this one! Any recommendations to give him something to help him recover faster? Thanks!

 

[Ghoul]

If I feed them those goldfish flake food, then how much do I give per one fish? An dhow often do they get fed? I know with regular goldfish they would get sick if fed too much food and these insects don't eat much at all...

You can't really overfeed insects! I suppose try one flake to see if they even accept it.
I suggest trying the foods I listed earlier so they get their starches: a tiny bit of bread, pasta, oatmeal, cereals, rice, wheat, anything with grains. For veggies peas, corn, potatoes, also dried beans give some proteins as well. For example say you're making dinner, just grab a tiny bit of potato peel from the leftovers for your fishes.

Not thriving? They've been living great the way I have them for months and months now Now they aren't being overcrowded as there is one per cup. I noticed in the past when I tried to put more than one together they ended up killing each other a day later.

Cannibalism occurs when there is a lack of food. If I don't keep my isopods well fed they end up eating eachother alive. Remember, surviving doesn't mean thriving.

What do these fish reactions mean and why does water have such a profound effect?

They need humidity to survive, so when they don't have water they're not doing as well.

Any recommendations to give him something to help him recover faster? Thanks!

Can't really do much to an invert apart from feeding and such as usual. Try to not disturb him that much apart from feeding/giving water until he's doing better. Maybe hes about to shed his skin? I don't know about silverfish but I know that a lot of critters act different before a molt and you're not supposed to disturb them. :d

 

[Hisserdude]

You keep mentioning your silverfishes are shrinking, some invertebrates do "shrivel up" when they are extremely hungry or dehydrated, so it sounds like they definitely need more food and water. Like @Ghoul said, surviving isn't necessarily thriving.

 

[TylerFishman5675]

Some guy on YouTube even managed to breed them in captivity and have the eggs hatch, they apparently don’t need very much water at all, moisture can kill them easily, oatmeal, paper, and flour should do the trick

 

[Ghoul]

Can we get a source video?

 

[davehuth]

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[Cem Yildiz]

I have had a silverfish that I caught it my house for several months, and it's been doing fine. I have been feeding it flaked fish food and it has been thriving. Just as a precaution I put loads of it in the first serving and that lasted it for months. It is still growing and thriving in the small jar it calls it's home.

 

[schmiggle]

I have had a silverfish that I caught it my house for several months, and it's been doing fine. I have been feeding it flaked fish food and it has been thriving. Just as a precaution I put loads of it in the first serving and that lasted it for months. It is still growing and thriving in the small jar it calls it's home.

This makes me so happy. Maybe because it's just one, rather than a colony. Is it hard to find in its home, out of curiosity?

 

[Mousey]

I have been finding firebrats (Thermobia Domestica) in my apartment, and I have captured 2 of them so far. I had some pizza with ham, cheese, broccoli, and pepperoni and took very small crumbs from each. So far, they have liked the pizza crust, soda crackers and cheese, but won't eat the meat or the greens. But this was to be expected as the wiki mentioned that they only like starchy foods. But I cannot understand why, when they touch the water I have put in the box, they get scared and run from it.. I have heard that they shed their skins often (moulting - British English or molting - American English), but mine have not yet done so. Will they still shed in captivity? I am excited to find out. =P

 

[Marika]

I've seen a couple of these in my A. tesselata enclosure. I hope they're not breeding