# Why rep-cal?



## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

I always see everyone on this site using rep-cal, but i dont get why it has to be that specific brand. why cant you use one of the several other calcium supplements out there? someone please explain.


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## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

Rep-Cal/Herptivite uses beta carotine instead of vitamin A. Beta carotine is converted into vitamin A by the body. When vitamin A is given directly, the body cannot shed it easily, and it is very easy to OD on it, which causes neurological problems and possibly death.

Most other suppliments use direct vitamin A.


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## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

actually, i was planning on using dendrocare, but i have heard that some people have had problems with calcium deficency using this, and i wanted to supplement some calcium every other day(dendrocare one day, rep cal the next, etc.) So for this, why couldnt you use one of the other calcium supplements out there?


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## amphibianfreak (Jul 21, 2004)

If you are going to have rep cal why not just use it every day?


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## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

i thought it was better to alternate the supplements instead of mixing them
and that still doesnt answer the question about why repcal over other ones...


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

One of the points people miss is that is it also possible to overdose on vitamin D3 as it is also a fat stored vitamin and can cause other issues such as calcification of soft tissues. 

In general, the frequency of supplementation depends on the frequency of feeding, if you feed daily then supplement with a vitamin-mineral mix every other feeding to help reduce the risk of oversupplementation and on the alternate days dust with calcium carbonate supplement. 

One of the problems with a lot of supplements on the market is that there isn't a dating system on them to tell you when they were manufactured. Typically "complete" supplements beging to degrade within six months post opening (unless its in a crappy container where air can get in then, then degredation begins pretty much immediately. Once the supplement is opened, it should be replaced every six months and kept in a cool dark place..

Some comments,

Ed


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## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

ok if i dose dendrocare one day, rep cal then next, then just plain flies, and repeat, is this enought?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

It may be too much as both rep-cal and dendrocare contain D3 but as I pointed out there are also other potential issues. 

What I normally do both at work and at home with animals that are fed daily, is use the vitamin-mineral supplement one day and straight calcium carbonate the next day.....
Ed


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## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

because smarter people than me told to use it. I have no idea why repcal, herptivite combo is the right solution but there is no reason to argue with success.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The rep-cal/herptivite combo is effective as it allows a person to custom blend the mixture as needed which will reduce a little the rate of degredation of D3 ...

Also it is pretty easy to get a fresh container reguarly to make sure that you are not using degraded supplements. 

Ed


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## Bry (Feb 18, 2004)

I use rep-cal calcium and herptivite (multivitamin with D3) as well. In order to avoid overdosage of anything, I simply dust flies with multivitamin for 2 days, 1 day with calcium, the 4th day with no dusting, then I repeat the process. This has worked very well for me.


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## VTHokie (Jun 28, 2005)

I use mix both rep cal supplements also, but i only put power in every other day. This way on the day i put it in the flies get coated pretty well and on the other day they only get lightly coated.


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## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

alright thanks to everyone who posted
ill go with repcal herptivite, cuz smarter people said so lol


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## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

sometimes it pays to be a follower.


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2005)

Another good reason is consistincy it is very minute sticks to just about anything and is not to bad on the old wallet know what I mean.
later


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

I would have to disagree with most people along these lines. I feel that we really overdo it with the supplementation in our frogs. I am afraid to supplement more than twice a week. Instead of supplementation, try using other feeder insect other than just flies. Rice flour beetles and springtails are very easy to culture, and produce rather quickly. Maybe vary the flies, get flightless, wingless, hydei golden and regular. In my opinion from what I have heard, talked about with breeders, and studied a bit, diet variation is by far better than supplementation. This is just my thoughts, and I have yet to lose a frog due to lack of supplementation. I know many breeders out there share my thoughts as well. Diet variation is the only way to go, with maybe once or twice a week supplementation. Just my thoughts,

Ed Parker


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Hi Ed,
I concur that oversupplementation is a problem in the hobby but even varying the diet with cultured invertebrates does not address the situation. With the possible exception of springtails (and that is dependent on the substrate), all of the feeder insects you have mentioned have a poor calcium to phosphorus ratio. Feeding a variety of these insects does not address the problem. 

One of the issues that may be a contributing factor in oversupplementation is the manner in which we feed the frogs. Pretty much all amphibians are hardwired to take advantage of a surplus of insects today as tomorrow may not provide any insects to eat. This means that when we dump a ton of flies into the enclosure that the frogs will gorge themselves on the ffs (overfeeding is typically the case), potentially consuming more supplement than is needed. As A, D3, and E are fat stored it is possible to achieve toxic levels in these vitamins over time. When you add this to all of the various supplements and other nutrients that are being added to the various medias to achieve a "healthy" ff while maximizing production, it may be very easy to oversupplement on vitamin A, D3 or E.....One of the possible ways around this is to feed a smaller volume of dusted flies and then at a later point feed nondusted flies (at this time the required levels of these supplements are based on studies done on other animals, but as the literature indicates, these levels are effective). 

Some comments

Ed K


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