# vitamin supplementation & dusting powder rotation



## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

With the recent post & discussion on the Repashy dusting powders I decided to pick up some of the Repashy calcium with icb at Josh's get together this past weekend.

I'm interested in hearing what others are now currently using and how you rotate them into your weekly feeding schedule.

I feed every other day and this is how I'm going to start out with the new Repashy worked into the rotation.
day 1 - repashy
day 3 - rep-cal calcium with vit.d3
day 5 - rep-cal herptivite
day 7 - repashy
day 9 - dendrocare


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

this what i use. The frogs get calcium ICB everyother feeding, plus pure calcium about once a month. 
1. repashy ICB
2. Reapshy supermin
3. Minerall
4. herptivite
5. superpreen
6. naturose
7. reptocal
8. dendrocare
9. Vitamin A


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## frogmanroth (May 23, 2006)

Herp care and naturose every time. have used herptivite everytime and naturose. 

Stunning results with herpcare it is super fine calcium.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Herpcare from what I can tell isn't any different than any other superfine calcium carbonate and D3 supplement. There can be variations between batches in particle size but most commonly they are superfine. 

I don't have a consistent rotation at this moment as I have a couple of different ones in rotation. 
ON A PURELY SINGLE OBSERVATION with a small treefrog, adding spirulina to a non-retinol dusting supplement does not resolve appearences of insufficent vitamin A in the egg developement. Using a retinol containing supplement 100% of the time with a rest period of 3 months also did not resolve the issue (this could be a artifact of me having kept them ready to breed most of that time). Now I am going to try Repashy ICB, Rep-Cal, Dendrocare with vitamin A added twice a month. 

Ed


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## frogmanroth (May 23, 2006)

Yeah just read about Repashy's stuff today. Going to try also. But yeah Herpcare is just the super finest stuff I found yet. I have great results so far. But you know always try something better maybe. I have been around for awhile and herpcare for me has been better than Herptivite(just doesnt cover as good)????? And yes Ed have read all your post's learn lots everythime thanks. 

Read. Read and read some more, you never know you might learn something???


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## Alpha Pro Breeders (Oct 13, 2008)

What brand of vitamin A are you using. Looking for one that stick to the flies the best!



Julio said:


> this what i use. The frogs get calcium ICB everyother feeding, plus pure calcium about once a month.
> 1. repashy ICB
> 2. Reapshy supermin
> 3. Minerall
> ...


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

frogmanroth said:


> Yeah just read about Repashy's stuff today. Going to try also. But yeah Herpcare is just the super finest stuff I found yet. I have great results so far. But you know always try something better maybe. I have been around for awhile and herpcare for me has been better than Herptivite(just doesnt cover as good)????? And yes Ed have read all your post's learn lots everythime thanks.
> 
> Read. Read and read some more, you never know you might learn something???


Herpcare and Herptivite are two different things... One contains only calcium carbonate and D3, the other contains a variety of vitamins (no D3) and a limited amount of calcium carbonate.. It is not surprising that you are seeing a difference as they have different ingredients and make up, and you shouldn't expect them to behave the same. 
Regrinding the amount of Herptivite you are going to use right before you use it will cause it to adhere better. 

Ed


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## frogmanroth (May 23, 2006)

Ed, Yeah you're right Herpcare is only calcium and D3, I have found is that the calcium uptake is way better, because it is such a fine powder. I can see the difference in eggs in clutches every other week. when I supplement and I dont. Either way u need to supplement, it's all trial by error. Learn what u can!!!!! Always ask other froggers!! I am just saying do what you want. There is no right way!!! QWe all have something that works better. I have tried lots, had lots of different designs. 

The best advice is dont change what is working NEVER!!!!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

*OT Re: vitamin supplementation & dusting powder rotation*



frogmanroth said:


> Ed, Yeah you're right Herpcare is only calcium and D3, I have found is that the calcium uptake is way better, because it is such a fine powder. I can see the difference in eggs in clutches every other week. when I supplement and I dont. Either way u need to supplement, it's all trial by error. Learn what u can!!!!! Always ask other froggers!! I am just saying do what you want. There is no right way!!! QWe all have something that works better. I have tried lots, had lots of different designs.
> 
> The best advice is dont change what is working NEVER!!!!


How are you judging calcium uptake? 

Contrary to your statement it is not all trial and error, there is a ever increasing amount of hard data supported by real research... 

Contrary to a common perception in some people, calcium has a low threshold of safe tolerance before it begins to cause harm (for example see Mader's text for a complete explination) and coverage of the flies is not indicative of proper supplementation of calcium. There is at least one reference in the literature that due to the amount of supplement that adheres to the flies, it is possible to oversupplement the animals consuming the fruit flies. 

Ed


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

bpxc2003 said:


> What brand of vitamin A are you using. Looking for one that stick to the flies the best!


Vitamin A Dry by Solaray - SO-1084 - at The Vitamin Shoppe


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Julio,

Why did you choose that one over this one Vitamin Shoppe # VS-1262 ? 

Ed


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## TDK (Oct 6, 2007)

Ed I'm following this thread and wonder if you know the nutritional value of a flour beetle larvae compared to a termite? I have no problem with raising beetle larvae but termites are something I try to add now and then and have trouble breeding them. I'm trying something new with an outdoor colony but don't know how well it will work or if it even will. What's your opinion of termites anyway? Sorry if I'm off topic but it's all about feeding/health.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

TDK said:


> Ed I'm following this thread and wonder if you know the nutritional value of a flour beetle larvae compared to a termite? I have no problem with raising beetle larvae but termites are something I try to add now and then and have trouble breeding them. I'm trying something new with an outdoor colony but don't know how well it will work or if it even will. What's your opinion of termites anyway? Sorry if I'm off topic but it's all about feeding/health.


I don't have any direct analysis of the flour beetle larva so I can't give you a accurate response on it.. 

Ed


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