Keeping slime molds?

[Brent]

I'm still seeing if I wanna just wait till I can find it in the woods or just order it online.
Couldn't seem to find much info on this but, if you have slime mold how do you keep it going ? I'm nervous to spend the 50 bucks for it just to shrivel up and die.
What containers work best for the long term?(like a terrarium a Mason jar etc)
What to do if it does go dormant?
Joined this group hoping I could learn more about slime molds

Plus on a side note I have a terrarium of wolf spiders, ear wigs and crickets. Was really curious to see how the slime mold would react to that environment or possibly if the mold would work as a sort of cleaning agent for the dead insects in the cage

[RyChu]

Slime molds tend to be pretty hardy.

Any container, as long as it maintains a humid and low-light environment should be fine. I use random plastic containers and they are more than happy to live in them. I like to grow them on moist paper towels but they will climb over plastic if forced to.

It's generally pretty hard to get them to go dormant even if you are trying so I wouldn't worry too much about that but if it does go dormant, add food and water and it will become active (in fact, they are generally shipped to you in a dormant stage and the instructions will generally be to just add water.

I don't know how well slime molds do in terms of a display (I'm just using them for research right now) but I'm sure they would eat dead insects.

I wouldn't spend 50 dollars on them though... one 15 dollar pack will be more than enough as they spread incredibly quickly and if they shrivel up and die, call customer service and i'm sure they would be more than happy to replace it. Or see if Ian comes online :)

[Brent]

Okay thanks for the reply! I'll try these glad Tupperware containers I have then for now

[Brent]

Plus the only slime mold I could find being sold is 50 dollars otherwise yeah 15 sounds a lot cheaper where could I find that?

[Brent]

I found it nevermind

[RyChu]

Or you could find the post where Ian is offering free slime mold :)

[ian]

Yep you can have slime for nothing and I even supply a daylight proof version

[Brent]

Really? :0 thatd be awesome. Didnt even know there was a light proof one

[ian]

I bet the crickets would try eating it, there are a few beetle species that will snack on them. It'd form spores with the terrarium lights on unless you had a light proof version ;)

[Brent]

I was thinking that too. I might take live crickets out while I test to see what the slime does, light proof version would make it much easier to view!

[RyChu]

Ahaha lightproof makes it sound like you guys are discussing tech..."a strain that thrives in light"

[RyChu]

Maybe consider growing the slime mold up from the dormant stage outside of the terrarium, then transferring it in once it is big enough

[Brent]

Lolol. Yeah I was gonna get a few reserves going before I tried it just in case
Wonder what would happen if a slime mold that didnt "thrive in light proof" (lol) merged with one that did. Dont they sort of "learn" from each other?