# ~ 2 best supplements to dust - are these it ? (pics)



## carlos (Nov 14, 2006)

Is this what for the majority, everyone uses for their darts ?

c


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Yep, those are the right ones.


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

I don't know about the majority - but those are what I use, and what I recommend - not only for darts, but for all herps that require supplementation.

Remember to mark the date that you open the supplement, and to then replace it 6 months after openining (regardless of how much is left) to ensure the stability of the supplements.


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## axolotl (Dec 31, 2006)

From what I've read you can also suppliment with paprika added to those for color


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

Yes - additional supplementation for color (paprika, Naturose, etc) is optional - but vitamin and calcium supplementation is necessary.

The other nice thing about adding paprika or Naturose to your dust mixture, is it "cuts" the vit/Ca powder, so your frogs aren't getting as much at once.


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## Jay Why (Aug 27, 2005)

rozdaboff said:


> Remember to mark the date that you open the supplement, and to then replace it 6 months after openining (regardless of how much is left) to ensure the stability of the supplements.


Are you serious? Anyone else replace this often? That seems a bit much - especially when my LPS sells herptivite at 16 bucks a crack, and reptivite for 9 - I only have two frogs to feed right now!


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## Catfur (Oct 5, 2004)

Yes, once the supplements are exposed to air (they come sealed), they begin to degrade. While the calcium carbonate isn't going anywhere, the vitamins in the supplement will decay faster exposed to oxygen and moisture.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

snip "Yes, once the supplements are exposed to air (they come sealed), they begin to degrade. While the calcium carbonate isn't going anywhere, the vitamins in the supplement will decay faster exposed to oxygen and moisture"endsnip

This depends on how good the seal actually is (whether its under a partial vacumn) and whether or not the gas inside the container is inert or just atmosphere (its atmosphere) as oxidation can begin to occur from manufacture and can be more rapid in mixes that contain mixtures of the fat soluable vitamins. 
So what you really want is the freshest supplement available and discard it within six months. If your LPS's stock is covered with dust you may want to look around for more. 

Ed


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## Jay Why (Aug 27, 2005)

Ok - my supplements were a year and three months old. (Bought new today.)

Could that be why my year and three month old auratus are only about an inch long? Seems small to me...


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

That's on par for an adult Auratus.


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## Jay Why (Aug 27, 2005)

Now I'm confused. The parents of my frogs were at least twice the size of mine. Do they keep growing? Maybe I should just quit worrying about size and be happy with what I got.


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## titan501x (Dec 7, 2006)

Jay Why said:


> Ok - my supplements were a year and three months old. (Bought new today.)
> 
> Could that be why my year and three month old auratus are only about an inch long? Seems small to me...


My auratus is 1 inch long and hes only a few months old.


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## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

You can find both Rep-Cal and Herptivite online for much cheaper than that. If you have a herp show nearby you can usually find it pretty cheap there too. I replace mine once a year when I go to the local herp show in October. Last year it ran me $5 for the Rep-Cal and $7 for the Herptivite.

I usually buy it from the Bean Farm table. They also sell them on their web page (though the price on Herptivite has gone up fifty cents since the show) at http://www.beanfarm.com.


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## dartfrogs (May 26, 2004)

I agree that the supplements should be replaced frequently. 6 Months is a good, general time frame. A lot also has to do with the ambient humidity surrounding the containers that enters them whenever you open them. Moisture + air will quickly oxidize many nutrients. Even paying $32 a year for supplements is worth it when you get good, healthy froglets in return. Many deficiencies will not always show up in adult frogs but it will be quite evident in egg quality and development of the tads/froglets. We also keep all of our supplements refrigerated during that time period. 
Regarding what supplements are best, it really depends on who you ask as many people will use different things. Fact is, many work very well. The important thing is to try some and see if you are happy with the results. If something is not right then try a different type. Another thing to remember is that you need to use a supplement for at least 2-3 months to get a good idea how well it works, good or bad. Once you find something that works well for you stick with it.

Richard


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## forestexotics (Nov 14, 2006)

Yes sir, those are the two that I use.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

Dendrocare and Rep-Cal here. John.


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

Jay Why said:


> Maybe I should just quit worrying about size and be happy with what I got.


If everybody thought that way, we'd get WAY fewer popups and SPAM e-mails...


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## lessthantito (Nov 6, 2006)

I use both and I have noticed a pretty good size difference in a friend's geckos and my geckos (i don't have any frogs at the moment) that we both got at the same time/age and he uses a different vitamin/calcium supplement


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## lethal dart (Mar 1, 2006)

i currently dont have any frogs but with my beardies i use to use the rep cal and herptivite and ran an experiment on 10 babys 5 got the repcal/herptivite and the other five got mineral and the ones with mineral grew faster, bigger and are more active. I also think they will out live the rest but only time will tell.


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## thekidgecko (Oct 30, 2006)

I use sticky tongue farms D3 mix. Always had great vitamin and calcium levels in all my herps. Been using it for a while...


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