Enclosure for a Dark Fishing Spider?

[delilahdread]

A couple months ago I caught what I thought was a little wolfie, I love wolfies and you’d think I’d know the difference by now with how many I’ve kept over the years but I totally misidentified this girl. She’s molted a couple times since and she’s obviously a dark fishing spider. Dolemedes tenebrosus to be specific. Currently and for the last couple months I’ve had her set up as if she’s a wolf spider and she’s doing great! She eats like a champ and doesn’t seem stressed at all but I wonder if she’d be happier with a more arboreal set up at the very least? I was also thinking about giving her a water feature of sorts and maybe seeing if she’d enjoy fishing. I was thinking like a deep water bowl that I could put some small feeder fish in occasionally? Worst case scenario she doesn’t take to it and I just take it out. I know it’s silly but my biggest concern is with her drowning. I’m super attached to her at this point and don’t want anything to happen to her. I’m also wondering if this is one of those situations where “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies and I should just keep doing what I’ve been doing since she’s doing well. Regardless she’s due for an upgrade at this point and I just want to make sure I’m doing right by her. If you’ve kept dark fishing spiders or fishing spiders in general, thoughts? TIA!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

A couple months ago I caught what I thought was a little wolfie, I love wolfies and you’d think I’d know the difference by now with how many I’ve kept over the years but I totally misidentified this girl. She’s molted a couple times since and she’s obviously a dark fishing spider. Dolemedes tenebrosus to be specific. Currently and for the last couple months I’ve had her set up as if she’s a wolf spider and she’s doing great! She eats like a champ and doesn’t seem stressed at all but I wonder if she’d be happier with a more arboreal set up at the very least? I was also thinking about giving her a water feature of sorts and maybe seeing if she’d enjoy fishing. I was thinking like a deep water bowl that I could put some small feeder fish in occasionally? Worst case scenario she doesn’t take to it and I just take it out. I know it’s silly but my biggest concern is with her drowning. I’m super attached to her at this point and don’t want anything to happen to her. I’m also wondering if this is one of those situations where “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies and I should just keep doing what I’ve been doing since she’s doing well. Regardless she’s due for an upgrade at this point and I just want to make sure I’m doing right by her. If you’ve kept dark fishing spiders or fishing spiders in general, thoughts? TIA!

People have done this before, I don’t have any links to examples though. Maybe try searching.

 

[aaarg]

i wouldn't worry about a water feature, but an upright piece of bark or something for her to chill on would probably be appreciated. D. tenebrosus spends more time on trees than near water, i'm not sure how often they hunt in the water in the wild, if at all. that's more of a D. triton thing

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

i wouldn't worry about a water feature, but an upright piece of bark or something for her to chill on would probably be appreciated. D. tenebrosus spends more time on trees than near water, i'm not sure how often they hunt in the water in the wild, if at all. that's more of a D. triton thing

I haven’t seen one in forever but I captured one on plants at the edge of a lake. Not actually in the water they hang around and eat bugs on the rocks. You see them scattered all around. That was Sippo Lake, Ohio I think. It could’ve been a different species of Dolemedes, although it looked exactly like the photos .

 

[darkness975]

A couple months ago I caught what I thought was a little wolfie, I love wolfies and you’d think I’d know the difference by now with how many I’ve kept over the years but I totally misidentified this girl. She’s molted a couple times since and she’s obviously a dark fishing spider. Dolemedes tenebrosus to be specific. Currently and for the last couple months I’ve had her set up as if she’s a wolf spider and she’s doing great! She eats like a champ and doesn’t seem stressed at all but I wonder if she’d be happier with a more arboreal set up at the very least? I was also thinking about giving her a water feature of sorts and maybe seeing if she’d enjoy fishing. I was thinking like a deep water bowl that I could put some small feeder fish in occasionally? Worst case scenario she doesn’t take to it and I just take it out. I know it’s silly but my biggest concern is with her drowning. I’m super attached to her at this point and don’t want anything to happen to her. I’m also wondering if this is one of those situations where “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies and I should just keep doing what I’ve been doing since she’s doing well. Regardless she’s due for an upgrade at this point and I just want to make sure I’m doing right by her. If you’ve kept dark fishing spiders or fishing spiders in general, thoughts? TIA!

A piece of upright cork bark would be appreciated. I wouldn't bother with a water feature. They're the least aquatic of the "fishing spiders."

 

[Brewser]

Definitely some Uprights for Hanging about & Hiding behind.
Dolomedes is going to need a Water Bowl.
How big a Water Bowl is up to You.

 

[aaarg]

I haven’t seen one in forever but I captured one on plants at the edge of a lake. Not actually in the water they hang around and eat bugs on the rocks. You see them scattered all around. That was Sippo Lake, Ohio I think. It could’ve been a different species of Dolemedes, although it looked exactly like the photos .

i tend to see more vittatus close to water, and tenebrosus and albineus in the woods. in illlinois i saw a lot of Dolomedes on rock walls right above a creek and assumed they were tenebrosus (i don't recall getting a closer look, they could have been another species)

 

[darkness975]

i tend to see more vittatus close to water, and tenebrosus and albineus in the woods. in illlinois i saw a lot of Dolomedes on rock walls right above a creek and assumed they were tenebrosus (i don't recall getting a closer look, they could have been another species)

Likely another species.

Still fun to see.