# Repashy products...



## SMenigoz (Feb 17, 2004)

Start it off by saying that the Repashy line of vitamins has been a great addition to the hobby. I use a rotation of Calcium Plus ICB and Supervite, along with the old standby's(pink and blue) .
My observations with the Supervite:
While the ICB powder sticks fine to the fruitflies, the Supervite tends to leave a large number of pellets behind. . Any chance I just got a bad batch? I'd rather not have to re-grind the Supervite to achieve the desired effect. Anybody experience the same thing?
Scott


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Mine sticks perfectly fine. Sounds like a bad batch to me.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

I'm just using the standard vitamin + calcium mix, but I've noticed large particles of what I guess are carotenoids or something often get left behind, as lil orange dots.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

It can sometimes stick together a bit in the bag, some of it recombining into the little balls you mention. I just grind it with a plastic measuring spoon (1/4 teaspoon). A few quick scrapes while it is in the dusting container, before you add the flies.
I spoke to Allan via email just a few weeks ago. He says all we really need is the the Calcium Plus ICB. That the Supervit is to be used if you are using a stand alone Calcium. The Calcium Plus ICB should be a stand alone suppliment. I can see why some might want to rotate it with other brand suppliments, but according to Allan, if using Calcium Plus ICB we really shouldn't be using the Supervit or Supermin. We can still use some SuperPig now and then for color.
Doug


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## karag (May 12, 2005)

I also noticed Supermin doesn't stick that long on flies compared to other supplements.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Supermin gets darker when in a moist viv. Pull a fly and microscope him and you will probably find plenty of Supermin still on him.
Doug


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Thanks for that info Pumilio! Good to know... next time I need new supplements I won't be purchasing the SuperVite. That was really honest for Allan to say that.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Any time! I've been doing a lot of research lately, here and elsewhere and I'm always glad to share the information that others have shared with me. Here is a cut and paste of our correspondence for anyone interested.
My email to Allan:
_suppliment confusion
Hello, I am keeping dartfrogs. Pumilios and thumbnails. There seems to be people recommending different things on Dendroboard. I am currently alternating Calcium plus ICB on one feeding and Supervit the next. I have also heard it said you should alternate the Calcium ICB with Supermin the next. Others say just Calcium plus ICB. The bag seems to say just the calcium ICB. I have also just purchased the Superpig to throw just a bit into the mix now and then for color.
As the manufacturer, I thought you might be able to best direct me on this.
Thanks Allen,
Doug_

And here is Allan's answer to me:
_Hi Doug,

The ICB contains the Supervite combined with my calcium only supplement, plus superpig too, so if you are using it, you don't need to use supervite at all, and can add superpig if you really want to boost color, but probably don't need to use it either.

Cheers, and thanks for the support!

Allen Repashy_

As you pointed out Mitch, very honest of him to state that! To me this is the sign of someone with the best health of our animals at heart! I plan on using the Calcium Plus ICB and still supplementing with a little bit of SuperPig. Probably not more than about 10 percent. The reduced number of supplements I have to buy will make it easier to justify throwing out my old supplements at 6 months. Now I can make sure I always have fresh Calcium Plus ICB on hand.
Doug


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

I have always had the problem of the vitamin not sticking well as well, is not based on a bad batch, cause i am on several orders and is the same thing every time, so i just dump a slot more vitamins in there to smother the flies with it and it sticks a little better.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

The Jurasic park lizard says..." It's good stuff.....use it or i'll spit in your eye" and " Love your Avatar Scott (finally) ".


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Philsuma said:


> The Jurasic park lizard says..." It's good stuff.....use it or i'll spit in your eye" and " Love your Avatar Scott (finally) ".


You crack me up!
Doug


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## Allen Repashy (Jul 17, 2009)

Philsuma said:


> The Jurasic park lizard says..." It's good stuff.....use it or i'll spit in your eye" and " Love your Avatar Scott (finally) ".


Wow, that makes me feel old...... I think that pic was from around 1993.... long time ago... and I had hair on my head....

Anyways, someone pointed me to this thread and I just wanted to say thanks for the support. 

A note on the Supervite, I switched to a finer carrier a few months ago.... a cellulose/dextrose/calcium carbonate that averages about 15 microns. The problem is that there is a trade off between vitamin particle size and stability. I have gone out of my way to use the most stable available forms of vitamins, and because of this, many of them are really small micro encapsulated beadlets that look large compared to the carrier. I think the largest is the beta carotene, which is closer to 60 microns in size as I recall..... 

The way I look at is... I would rather get a lower stick level of vitamins I know are still good, then having stuff stick like glue that isn't good anymore.

You CAN grind it, but I would only do it immediately before you use it because some of the encapsulated vitamins can oxidize in a matter of hours or days. Vitamin C is one that is quickly spent... though it's importance in herps is not well understood or studied.... If you are a Guinea Pig, It is a critical component.... 
 and a lot of animals suffered because the forms of Vitamin C used in early feeds was totally oxidized by the time the bag got used. I use the most stable form of C available, made by DSM.
http://www.dsm.com/en_US/downloads/dnp/51641__aqua.pdf

Again, I could have chosen a smaller particle size, but at what cost..... 

So my advise would be to consider not just how well a product sticks, but what the value is of what is actually sticking. 

The Calcium Plus has the same particle sizes, but the superfine calcium carbonate I use just makes it stick really well because just a little bug sweat, and it turns into clay and holds onto the larger particles better than the vitamins alone..... but I DID recently try to come up with a better carrier combo for the SuperVite...

Vitamins and Minerals have been used separately for so many years, that it is just hard to get some people to believe you can have an all in one product with shelf life..... so I make both types available to keep the "Old School" crowd happy ... I am not saying that ALL products that combine vitamins and calcium should be considered good products...... it all comes down to the forms of vitamins used and at the end of the day... the way they are taken care of..... HEAT will eventually oxidize ALL vitamins. so freshness and storage will go a long ways and I recommend refrigeration of opened and unopened containers when possible if you are not using it up in six months or so......

Happy New Year....... Allen


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

Happy New Year to you too, Allen! And thanks for the helping the dart frog community greatly.

I use the Calcium with ICB only mixed with the Superpig for extra color (works great in tinctorius!) I crush the two together before I use it. The leftover I dump and only use fresh each day.

Take care, Richard.


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## SMenigoz (Feb 17, 2004)

Philsuma said:


> " Love your Avatar Scott (finally) ".
> QUOTE]
> 
> I'm slow to respond to these kom-put-tor thingys...only took me since 2004 to find where I could add my avatar... how's that for progress?


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

SMenigoz said:


> Philsuma said:
> 
> 
> > " Love your Avatar Scott (finally) ".
> ...


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