Need Help In Keeping SilverFish As Pets...>

[wormstand]

I'm currently using a medium-sized critter keeper that has about 1/2" of gardener's charcoal at the bottom, and about 3" of damp peat moss. I added a culture of temperate springtails to the substrate because their appetites help to inhibit mold growth in the tank (they have very similar natural habitats and dietary needs to silverfish anyway). I do a damp side and a dry side- the dry side has a piece of egg crate that the silverfish hangs out in during the day that provides a nice hide for it- I've seen this noted as crucial by people who keep silverfish and firebrats as feeders. I literally just used 4 little cups' worth of crate from my regular groceries. The damp side I mist with filtered water daily (I run dehumidifiers in my house so it will dry out quickly), and I make sure to leave droplets on the sides of the enclosure for drinking purposes. I keep a cheap hygrometer above the tank, and I try to keep the ambient humidity above the tank between 37% and 45%. I keep the whole tank in one of the cubes in my large Ikea bookshelf so there's no direct sunlight, and very little light in general, as silverfish do not enjoy excessive light. Every couple of days I sprinkle 1-3 Aqueon Goldfish Food flakes, a bit of spirulina, a grain of uncooked white rice, half an uncooked rolled oat, or a confetti-sized piece of brown paper that has been painted on both sides with wheatpaste (it seems to LOVE wheatpasted cardboard, but this molds really quickly in the tank so I can only offer a little). I also see the silverfish munching on the substrate- which makes sense since their natural habitat is leaf litter.

Attaching photos of my setup, just after misting this morning.
As mentioned above, I do think it needs more hides (and I'd like to add a water/cotton station on top of a rock for it- so it's up off the substrate and won't mold), but this is the final base setup overall. I keep the fish food bin in front of the egg crate normally just for added darkness in that area, since that's where it hangs out during daylight hours, and the shelf gets some indirect sunlight in the morning. The peat moss really helps keep the humidity high.

 

[SilverfishMom]

Feed your silverfish paper, glue, sugar, and book bindings. If you want, you can use a small bottle cap as a little water dish.

 

[SilverfishMom]

Where did you find your silverfish? I lost all of mine, and am looking for a new one. I searched all the usual places were my silverfish are

 

[SilverfishMom]

I found a silverfish

 

[moricollins]

Where did you find your silverfish? I lost all of mine, and am looking for a new one. I searched all the usual places were my silverfish are

The original poster hasn't been on the forums since 2018...