Wet Specimen Care Guide
Your specimen has already completed the complicated part of its journey. From here, long-term care is surprisingly simple: keep it sealed, keep it cool, keep it out of prolonged UV light, and keep an occasional eye on its preservation fluid.
A simple solution with a very important job.
The preservation method used for Myco-Emporium wet specimens is based around a final preservation fluid of approximately 75% ethanol and 25% distilled water by volume. This ethanol-water environment helps preserve biological material while keeping the specimen suitable for long-term display and collection.
Myco-Emporium Preservation Reserve
Corrina's 75/25 Wet Specimen Preservation Blend is the Myco-Emporium collection-care solution made for topping off compatible preserved specimens when normal evaporation slowly lowers the fluid line. It follows the same preservation ratio used throughout our wet specimen collection: 75% ethanol and 25% distilled water.
A little collection care for returning Myco-Patrons.
Returning Myco-Patrons may bring qualifying Myco-Emporium Wet Specimens back to the booth for a complimentary preservation-fluid check and small top-off by Corrina when needed. It is our way of helping the strange little worlds that leave the Emporium stay properly preserved long after adoption.
Give the tiny universe inside the container a boring life.
For once, boring is excellent. Stable temperature, stable light, stable fluid level and minimal handling are exactly what a preserved specimen wants.
Keep It Away From UV
Avoid placing the specimen in a sunny window, greenhouse, vehicle dashboard or anywhere receiving strong direct sunlight. Extended UV exposure can accelerate fading and deterioration of preserved biological material.
Cool + Stable Wins
A normal climate-controlled indoor environment is ideal. Avoid hot attics, outdoor sheds, vehicles or areas near heaters. You generally do not need to refrigerate your display specimen. Consistent, moderate temperatures are the goal.
Watch the Fluid Line
Ethanol can slowly evaporate over long periods, especially if a lid or seal is imperfect. Occasionally check that the specimen remains fully submerged and that the fluid level has not noticeably dropped.
Handle the Vessel, Not the Specimen
There is normally no reason to remove the specimen from its preservation fluid. Repeated handling can damage delicate structures, introduce contamination and allow preservation fluid to evaporate.
Clean the Outside Only
Dust the exterior gently with a soft cloth. For glass or acrylic surfaces, use a cleaner appropriate for the container material and apply it to the cloth rather than spraying toward the lid, seal or opening.
Keep the Container Upright
Whenever practical, display and store the specimen upright on a stable surface. This reduces continuous pressure against the seal and lowers the chances of leaks, tipped containers or accidental impacts.
The 30-Second Specimen Check
Once in a while, give the little dimension a visual inspection.
Do not randomly replace the preservation fluid.
If your specimen loses a substantial amount of liquid, do not substitute tap water, drinking alcohol, isopropyl rubbing alcohol, bleach, sanitizer, methanol, formaldehyde/formalin or another mystery liquid from the household chemistry dungeon. Different preservatives can change tissues, damage specimens, create unsafe mixtures or greatly reduce preservation quality. Contact Myco-Emporium for guidance first.
Preservation does not freeze biology in time.
Even when properly preserved, biological specimens may slowly change in appearance. That is part of preserving real organic material rather than manufacturing a plastic replica.
Changes that may naturally occur
These changes do not automatically indicate preservation failure. A rapid fluid loss, cracked container, active leak, strong unexpected odor, dramatic cloudiness or specimen exposure above the fluid line deserves attention.
