Jobe, until a sourdough starter gets quite old and adapted to your area, the only way to keep them going is to bake bread daily. After they are well established, you can put them to sleep in the fridge, but you have to wake them up at least once a month to keep them going, or you can always freeze a bit of it too.
If you make a starter on your own, it's best to use organic rye flour to start, as rye has the most active natural yeast all over it. I've actually had some that I had to get rid of because they became too sour. Too much lactobacillus in it. That one was a slow riser too. I've had cultures that would rise in 2 hours, and other that would take 8 hours to rise. Sourdough is really a beast you must keep feeding. Think of it like a pet.