# Rep-Cal & Herptivite - together or separate



## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

Just curious how many people when they use these products to dust your FFs mix them together and how many people alternate between them.

From talking to other hobbyists it seems to me that mixing them together is the more common practice. But I'm pretty sure when I first got into this hobby some 3 years ago there was a good discussion on the board here for using them separately.

Comments.


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## melas (Oct 24, 2007)

I use them separately. Alternating between days. I just keep two different feeding cups - one for calcium - one for vitamins.



Ed said:


> At home I do alternate to avoid interactions but it may not be the one expected. If you alternate, then you avoid the vitamin A-D3-E competition for uptake (which for A-D3 is not a problem for Herpetivite as it used beta-carotene for its source of A but is still an issue for E). This is an immediate issue as the competition occurs in the intestional tract. Alternating also reduces the risks of overdosing on the fat soluable vitamins (remember to keep in mind, these are toxic in too large an amount and amphibians are hardwired during periods of abundence (which is a daily occurance in most frog tanks) to stuff themselves which can lead to oversupplementation. (Oversupplementation can also occur with calcium carbonate).
> 
> Ed



http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/fo...st-your-frogs-food-supplements.html#post76972


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## kawickstrom (Oct 3, 2008)

I do the same as Matt. But I was reading my calcium container recently and it says to use them both at feedings together. So I don't know. I just alternate because it's easier to remember when I did what. Plus I heard somewhere on here that frogs can overdose on vitamins because they cannot urinate the excess out like humans can or something to that effect.


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

GREAT FIND Matt. THANKS!!!


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## bellerophon (Sep 18, 2006)

If I remember correctly, the guru of all that is nutrition *Ed* stated that they could be mixed at the time of dusting but should not be stored pre-mixed. Dont remember the details but it had something to do with unwanted interactions between the ingredients causing them to break down rapidly.

That being said, I alternate between them on different days.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

My frog`s get fed every other day,alternating calcium and vitamin`s.

John


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## afterdark (Jan 16, 2007)

I guess I'm following Ed's advice by mixing a little bit of each in a cup and then adding flies at each feeding. Sweet.


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

I hear that mixing can cause problems.. so I alternate between both too. I also have Dendrocare but hear mixed feelings about it..so I haven't used it yet.


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## melas (Oct 24, 2007)

I also wonder about the true ratio delivered when they are mixed. As each has a different consistency, grain size, and adhesive tendency, I would think that each fly would probably have more than 50% coverage of one or the other. In my experience the calcium adheres to the flies much better than the Herptivite. My guess would be that calcium may be delivered at a higher ratio than the Herptivite. I haven't tested this and this is purely anecdotal - just my two cents! I doubt any one has done any extensive testing with this. For me it's just as easy to alternate and I have no worries about any of the possible negatives mentioned above. Maybe Ed can chime in here . . .


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

melas said:


> I also wonder about the true ratio delivered when they are mixed. As each has a different consistency, grain size, and adhesive tendency


this is one of the concerns and in some respects is an important concern as the powder is made to adhere to crickets and not ffs initially. 
The other concern is that if you do not get the ratios correct, the ratio of D3 to E is going to be off and this can potentially cause a conditional deficiency of one or the other fat soluble vitamins. (vitamin A is not a concern in this supplement as it does not cotain any retiniol but instead has beta carotene but this is also a problem in its own right). 

So even if you mix the ratios correctly, the adhesion due to differences in particle size could also change these ratios. 

I'm not even close to being a guru on nutrition, I've just done a fair bit of research with respect to amphibians. 

Ed


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