# Rep-Cal (blue) and Rep-Cal (pink)



## scrubbydan (Jan 31, 2012)

I bought the Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamin (BLUE) and Rep-Cal Ultrafine Calcium with Vitamin D3 (PINK). I was planning on alternating these every feeding. Is this going to give my frogs what they need, or am I going to also need a vitamin A every couple of weeks or so. Didn't find much on Rep-Cal as far as threads, seems lots of people use Repashy. I have not received my frogs yet so I do have time to change/add anything I will need. Any advice would be appreciated.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

You can certainly use them, but if you do I would also supplement with the Repashy Vit A as the Herptivite has Beta Carotene and no Vit A in it. Another thing to consider is the Rep-Cal, is also made out of oyster shell. 
Alternatively you can use an all in one supplement such as the Repashy Calcium Plus.
I still have jars of the Herptivite and Rep-Cal at home. I use them to dust ff's when making cultures to keep mites of of them. I don't use them as supplements when feeding anymore, at all.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I won't use those products for the exact reasons Rusty mentioned. 
Repashy Calcium Plus will replace them both and will also include the proper types of vitamin A.


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## scrubbydan (Jan 31, 2012)

Ok sounds good! I found all the Repashy threads so I know what to grab now. Thanks! Looks like I have some useless rep-cal now! Maybe I will dust my flies like Rusty does!


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## tritium (Aug 19, 2012)

so, just to be clear, i can use JUST repashy calcium plus every day, and wont really ever need anything else?


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

tritium said:


> so, just to be clear, i can use JUST repashy calcium plus every day, and wont really ever need anything else?


You don't have to use it every day. I use it at every feeding for froglets, every 2nd or 3rd feeding for adults (a light dusting). But yes, it is an all-in-one product, so you don't need to add anything (except for froglets of certain species that may need a little extra calcium...this is optional). I add in SuperPig to mine (about 20%), again this is merely my preference, not a necessity.


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## drewman1962 (Apr 16, 2012)

Interesting comment on dusting fruit fly cultures to keep mites off of them. Could you tell me more. I never saw this mentioned in any of the posts I have read. I would like to hear more on this.



Rusty_Shackleford said:


> You can certainly use them, but if you do I would also supplement with the Repashy Vit A as the Herptivite has Beta Carotene and no Vit A in it. Another thing to consider is the Rep-Cal, is also made out of oyster shell.
> Alternatively you can use an all in one supplement such as the Repashy Calcium Plus.
> I still have jars of the Herptivite and Rep-Cal at home. I use them to dust ff's when making cultures to keep mites of of them. I don't use them as supplements when feeding anymore, at all.


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## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

drewman1962 said:


> Interesting comment on dusting fruit fly cultures to keep mites off of them. Could you tell me more. I never saw this mentioned in any of the posts I have read. I would like to hear more on this.


Yea the dusting prevents mites from invading your cultures. Ed always mentions it. I tried to dust of starter flies with VIT A but they never took off, so I would use something other than Vitamin-A to dust starter flies. Make sure you get the rephasy cal + and Vit-A+. Use A+ once a month.


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

B-NICE said:


> Make sure you get the rephasy cal + and Vit-A+. Use A+ once a month.


Careful here...Vit A is not necessary in frogs that have been regularly supplemented...it is usually used for frogs that haven't been properly cared for. CalPlus already has A in it.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

drewman1962 said:


> Interesting comment on dusting fruit fly cultures to keep mites off of them. Could you tell me more. I never saw this mentioned in any of the posts I have read. I would like to hear more on this.


It's not uncommon for animals to take dust or mud baths to keep parasites off of them. Think of pig wallowing in the mud of a chinchilla taking a dust bath. 
By dusting the ffs before they go into new cultures you're helping to keep any mites off the ff's and therefore out of your new cultures. They have a harder time riding the ff's into your new cultures. 
I've used this method for awhile now, and in combination with mite paper it seems to be pretty effective at keeping mites at bay and out of your cultures.


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## drewman1962 (Apr 16, 2012)

See, there I go learning something new today. I have actually started a log book with different headings with notes and tips I have learned about. That way when I am ready for my frogs, I have a good reference manual


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

drewman1962 said:


> Interesting comment on dusting fruit fly cultures to keep mites off of them. Could you tell me more. I never saw this mentioned in any of the posts I have read. I would like to hear more on this.


It's been around for decades. It was originally discussed in the old American Dendrobatid Society newsletters. It's been discussed more than a few times on here... 

Ed


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

I've had great results alternating between the Rep-Cal supplements and Repashy Calcium Plus. I feed 3 times a week, and dust once with each supplement.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

fieldnstream said:


> You don't have to use it every day.


I think this is more correctly a maybe statement.... 

There are several reasons for this as a maybe... There is some indication that fruit flies retain more supplement in proportion of thier body size so with some portions of the supplement (fat soluble vitamins for example), there maybe enough to carry over for the next couple of days. However we need to also consider that this can leave the frog deficient in other vitamins and minerals (for example, calcium and water soluble vitamins). we should also consider that there is mounting evidence that supplementing oral D3 within what are considered to be safe ranges (excess causes toxicity) in multiple animals doesn't provide optimal amounts of circulating D3 and it's metabolites. See for example Nutritional Metabolic Bone Disease in Juvenile Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and Its Prevention. This parallels what the literature has seen in at least one anuran species. 

Some comments 

Ed


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