# Supplements



## BRLegend (Sep 30, 2018)

I feed my frogs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening. I alternate between Herptivite and Calcium with Vit. D by Rep-Cal. I also mix in a little Reef-Roid to enhance color. My question is, Is there a supplement that can do the job of both of these supplements. It is time for me to replace the Rep-Cal because it is getting old and I was wondering if there is something that will do the job of both.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Repashy Calcium Plus will 'do the job' of all three of those. 

Additionally, the RCP has preformed Vit A, which the Herptivite lacks.


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

Socratic Monologue said:


> Repashy Calcium Plus will 'do the job' of all three of those.
> 
> Additionally, the RCP has preformed Vit A, which the Herptivite lacks.


Exactly. Repashy all the way.


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## Do_Gon (Aug 18, 2018)

Does repashy need to be replaced every 6 months?


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Do_Gon said:


> Does repashy need to be replaced every 6 months?


My understanding is that vitamins exposed to oxygen (i.e. opened) degrade, and so replacing every six months helps to ensure that the supplement is providing the vitamins that are listed on the label. I don't imagine this is unique to certain brands.


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## Do_Gon (Aug 18, 2018)

Socratic Monologue said:


> My understanding is that vitamins exposed to oxygen (i.e. opened) degrade, and so replacing every six months helps to ensure that the supplement is providing the vitamins that are listed on the label. I don't imagine this is unique to certain brands.


Thanks for clearing that up for me. Much appreciated.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Throw away the supplements by rep-cal. They don't have Vitamin A in a form that PDFs can metabolize, and eventually will result in your frogs getting sick.

Repashy or dendrocare is all you need.


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## Tijl (Feb 28, 2019)

I just bought Repashy Vit A+ and Calcium+ since I am not to happy anymore with the suplements I normaly use. 

My understanding is to powder fruitflies with Vit A+ only once a month and Calcium+ just 2 times a month. Will this be enough of suplementation? I have no experience what so ever with Repashy but i cant help but feel like this is not enough suplementation. 

I would love to know how frequent you guys/girls use the repapshy products and also if you use more than only these 2 products.


I am also thinking of using Superpig once a month for pumilio to enhance color for the offsrping. Anny thoughts?


Greets,
Tijl


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## PhylloBro (Sep 21, 2018)

Tijl said:


> I just bought Repashy Vit A+ and Calcium+ since I am not to happy anymore with the suplements I normaly use.
> 
> My understanding is to powder fruitflies with Vit A+ only once a month and Calcium+ just 2 times a month. Will this be enough of suplementation? I have no experience what so ever with Repashy but i cant help but feel like this is not enough suplementation.
> 
> ...


Cal + with every feeding. I do Vit A 2/Month but 1/week for my breeders.


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## Tijl (Feb 28, 2019)

Oh wow, thats a big difference  but I expect your advice of frequencies will be better than what ive read before.
This is also more similar to the frequency of how I used my previous suplementes.

I would love to read how other people experience with repashy is.

Thanks for the reply!


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## indrap (Aug 28, 2018)

Tijl said:


> I just bought Repashy Vit A+ and Calcium+ since I am not to happy anymore with the suplements I normaly use.
> 
> My understanding is to powder fruitflies with Vit A+ only once a month and Calcium+ just 2 times a month. Will this be enough of suplementation? I have no experience what so ever with Repashy but i cant help but feel like this is not enough suplementation.
> 
> ...


Those 2 are fine, cal + every feeding unless I'm usuing something else. I've just been using vit A once a month, unless I am specifically seeing problems with reproductive success (ie bad eggs) in which case I administer twice a month.

Superpig I use every week, for all my frogs regardless of their coloration. They play an important role in the health of frogs, and serve many important metabolic functions. In at least pumilio, carotenoid use has been shown to have positive results in breeding. There is a study somewhere posted by Allen Repashy on this.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I use Ca+ at every feeding. I don't think Repashy Vit A sticks to feeder bugs very well, so I use a 50/50 mix of Ca+ and Vit A twice a month (two feedings in a row). I'm not certain this helps with adhesion, but it may reduce the possibility of an animal sitting out feeding because of the different taste.

In past threads, Ed has given some good references to the benefits of carotenoids. I don't recall the details, but given time to search a person could find this in the archives.


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

I have come to believe that the first few insects well covered with supplement that are taken on initial feed release, with components well-founded a given, provide enough to support their nutrient roles and that if we actually had a visual per grain piles on a petri of the actual physical amount required monthly to prevent deficiencies and promote flourish without excess, we might be deeply surprised.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Kmc said:


> I have come to believe that the first few insects well covered with supplement that are taken on initial feed release, with components well-founded a given, provide enough to support their nutrient roles and that if we actually had a visual per grain piles on a petri of the actual physical amount required monthly to prevent deficiencies and promote flourish without excess, we might be deeply surprised.


Do you have any reason to believe this, or evidence that leads to such a claim? If not, I'm going to assume that you're simply blowing smoke.

Allen Repashy, at least, has quantified how much of each compound is to be delivered by supplements, and I'm certain beyond a doubt that those calculations didn't assume that only the first few insects are dusted. 

If you read how much research someone like Repashy has put into these products and the dosages, *you* might be surprised.


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

I dont know how to reply to your comment, I wasnt blowing smoke, which to me implies a casual and insincerely made remark.

Its kind of a disheartening sticky trap really.

But I wanted to respond because I am genuinely interested in the topic.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Kmc said:


> I dont know how to reply to your comment, I wasnt blowing smoke, which to me implies a casual and insincerely made remark.
> 
> Its kind of a disheartening sticky trap really.
> 
> But I wanted to respond because I am genuinely interested in the topic.


Not a trap, and I'm glad you're interested.

You made a claim that _could_ be supported by empirical data (known nutritional requirements, ingredient analysis of supplement products, micrograms of product per feed unit, etc) without giving any such data. My comment was a request for backing data, spun in such a way to imply that I don't think you can provide that data, because I don't think that data exists.

Anytime anyone says something that both flies in the face of established practice and does so in a way that can be expected to cause harm (in this case, to frogs), I'm going to call that out. I am fully prepared to be proven wrong by evidence. 

Nothing personal against you, of course. I didn't mean to hurt any feelings. I do hold a grudge against all form of BS, though, so if you get near it you might get caught in the crossfire.


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

Timing is everything and I know exactly how you feel as I have done the same. No, you didnt hurt my 'feelings'. I swear. 

I would love to talk about supplements, supplementation, oversupplementation, its a diverse topic and immersive. 

The way you chose to perceive my comment isnt quite right sized but that is only because you care about the frogs, and are sick of internet anarchy, and all the rest. 

I understand this very well. 

I think you will be relieved. We have more in common then you realize at the moment. If you dont mind, I would like to settle in a little, ok?


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

I promise it will be a positive exchange, you can relax.


Kelly


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## ambilobe (May 13, 2019)

indrap said:


> Those 2 are fine, cal + every feeding unless I'm usuing something else. I've just been using vit A once a month, unless I am specifically seeing problems with reproductive success (ie bad eggs) in which case I administer twice a month.
> 
> Superpig I use every week, for all my frogs regardless of their coloration. They play an important role in the health of frogs, and serve many important metabolic functions. In at least pumilio, carotenoid use has been shown to have positive results in breeding. There is a study somewhere posted by Allen Repashy on this.


Do you dust the flies with Superpig directly or put in the media?

It says that it should he be more than 4% of food, but I think that's when mixed for geckos.



Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

ambilobe said:


> Do you dust the flies with Superpig directly or put in the media?
> 
> It says that it should he be more than 4% of food, but I think that's when mixed for geckos.
> 
> ...


Dust the flies. There is a poor conversion rate for "gut loading" FF larvae.


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## Drthsideous (Oct 14, 2019)

I've been dusting with calcium plus and dendrocare at every feeding, I feed 3-4 times per week. This is what I was kind of told by some keepers from a very well known herp deptartment at a big zoo. The difference is they do calcium plus and repashy vitamin A at every feeding. Also they swear up and down by pretty much every repashy product.


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

Dane said:


> Dust the flies. There is a poor conversion rate for "gut loading" FF larvae.


I was just reading old threads about carotenoids and Superpig, and Mr. Repashy himself had recommended (based on an article detailing an experiment with supplements) mixing Superpig into fly media in a 5% ratio...this was some time ago, has the 'best practice' changed?

(I wouldn't know, I'm only back into darts after nearly a decade).

He had also mentioned that Superpig would need to be ground finer if used as FF dust to improve its stickiness...

Here's the thread from 2013:

https://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/135906-new-scientific-publication-pdfs-carotenoids.html


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I don't mix anything into Josh's FF media and my frogs are doing well.

(My brainworm: _yes, but they could be doing better...maybe...chase the last one percent...ha, ha, HA, HA...._)


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