# Dusting/Suppliments, so many choices!



## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

I'm looking through the variety of supplements, and it's hard to find which one is best for our frogs. I'm just looking at what's readily available from sponsors and other major retailers. So what do you use?

There is the all-in-one Repashy Cal+, which has calcium, major vitamins, including A, and some color enhancers. 
CalciumPlus

Then there are the strict calcium suppliments. 

There is RepCal w/ D3.
RepCal

Repashy makes Calciums with Low, Medium, and High levels of D3. Now what level of D3 our frogs need... that's a whole new topic.
SuperCal HyD

Just when you thought it couldn't get more complicated. Repashy makes a Formic-Cal Plus. This is for ant eating species. While darts don't exclusively eat ants, they make up a decent portion of their diet. Would formic acid be a benefit for frogs?
FormicCalPlus

Now onto vitamins...

Herptivite is a general multi-vitamin. 
Herptivite

Repashy Supervite is another broad spectrum vitamin.
Supervite

Repashy Vitamin A is a specialty for one of the most in demand vitamins. 
Vitamin A Plus

Now for pigment enhancers. 

Repashy makes SuperPig, which has a variety of color enhancing pigments. 
Superpig

I've found pure Astraxanthin from Ken's specialty foods. I've used this with fish with really good results. It is also a powerful anti-oxident.
Ken's pure Astraxanthin

One thing I've actually debated trying is something else from the aquarium industry. Spirulina powder is a cyanobacteria. It is generally considered a great addition to round out the diet of many animals. It acts as a digestive aid, and can even help simulate a natural gut-loading.

Pure Spirulina powder


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## Trey (Sep 10, 2008)

Is the old rep cal and herptivite combo still okay?? It seems most people have switched cal + and I can not find it locally, wasn't even at the show today. Ugh.

It's been years since I've had darts and that's what I always used back then. It's what I plan to use now as well unless there is some huge advantage to cal+
Thanks


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## kshorey (Feb 4, 2013)

if you use the cal + is that the only food additive you need?
im just getting ready for my first darts and have just been reading about supplements today and i am a bit confused as to what exactly you need to have?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

First off, why would you want to buy it locally, if you are supposed to replace it every 6 months? How long has it been sitting on that local shelf? I buy mine straight from Repashy to insure the freshest supplement.

Now the problem with answering a thread like this is the feedback regulations. I'm not allowed to tell you my opinions of the different supplements. I am, however, allowed to simply tell you what works for me.
I use only Repashy supplements.
*Once a month I dust with Repashy SuperPig. It does much more than function as a color enhancer. It supplies different vitamin A pathways and is rich in different Xanthins.
Once a month I dust with Repashy Vitamin A Plus. 
At every other feeding, which is about 3 times a week, I dust with Repashy Calcium Plus. Repashy Calcium Plus is designed to be the main, stand alone supplement for our dart frogs. This is from a personal communication with Allan Repashy.*

Now the LoD, HyD, and MeD formulas are designed to be used for special applications, like UVB emitting lights. It must also be used in conjunction with Repashy Supervite. Looking at it the other way around, if you are using Supervite, you should be using the LoD, HyD, or Med formula alongside it, and NOT the Calcium Plus.
Getting too complicated yet? Then forget the rest and read what I highlighted. Yes, there are other methods, but this method has been working for me, and many others on the board.


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## kshorey (Feb 4, 2013)

thanks for the great answer Pumilo. 

the way you phrase your responses in order to follow all of the forum rules is always great.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

kshorey said:


> thanks for the great answer Pumilo.
> 
> the way you phrase your responses in order to follow all of the forum rules is always great.


Yeah I err...I've had my hand a few times in the past.


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## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

Pum, can you just download your brain to the website so I can browse it... That would be helpful.


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## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

So...

Cal+ is meant for an all-in-1. You supplement with vitamin A and super pig.

If you want to be real specific. Split the cal+ into supervite and the calcium with D3 you need. Then you still need to do the superpig and vitamin A.

Did I break that down right?


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## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

Trey said:


> Is the old rep cal and herptivite combo still okay?? It seems most people have switched cal + and I can not find it locally, wasn't even at the show today. Ugh.
> 
> It's been years since I've had darts and that's what I always used back then. It's what I plan to use now as well unless there is some huge advantage to cal+
> Thanks



Herp-cal and herptivite is a bit older to my understanding. It was the the best "common" dusting supplements. I use to get it at petsmart and petco. I couldn't find it at petsmart last time I stopped by, so they might be having production or distributor issues, but I don't know. 

And I will second Pum's statement. For perishable things, get it from the source. Distributors buy it in truck-loads, then wholesalers buy it by the pallet. Retailers buy it by the box, and who knows how long it sits out after that. I've seen higher end fish food lose half its shelf life before it even got to me on the floor of the retail location. If you are insistent on buying it in person, check all the expiration dates. Usually the packs in the very back of the shelf are newer.


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## Trey (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. I was also careful to replace my supps. I just hate paying shipping and waiting for stuff to come in. It literally drives me insane lol.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> Yeah I err...I've had my hand a few times in the past.


Oops, that was supposed to say "had my hand *slapped* a few times..."


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Trey said:


> Thanks for the reply. I was also careful to replace my supps. I just hate paying shipping and waiting for stuff to come in. It literally drives me insane lol.


Ahh, but now you know that you are not paying for shipping. You are paying for getting the freshest product possible, direct from the hands of the man who makes it.


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## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

Pumilo said:


> Ahh, but now you know that you are not paying for shipping. You are paying for getting the freshest product possible, direct from the hands of the man who makes it.


Considering that you should be replacing the supplement by the expiration date, you are going the be replacing hand-purchased products much more frequently. It should more than cover your shipping cost.


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