# Dart frog supplements - what do you use and how often?



## creg (Jun 10, 2012)

Just curious what everyone else uses to dust dart food with, currently i'm dusting with exo terra calcium + d3 every feed.


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## plasma234 (Feb 27, 2013)

i use repashy Ca+ for every feed apart from one repashy VitA every 4 weeks.

i also use this regime for my leopard gecko, she has never been so active, but i don't know if this is due to the UVB bulb which was added about the same time as my supplement switch.


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## creg (Jun 10, 2012)

plasma234 said:


> i use repashy Ca+ for every feed apart from one repashy VitA every 4 weeks.
> 
> i also use this regime for my leopard gecko, she has never been so active, but i don't know if this is due to the UVB bulb which was added about the same time as my supplement switch.


Everyone seems to use repashys nowadays, i'll have to try some when my exo terra stuff runs out.

I have a uvb bulb in my leopard gecko viv and he is not active at all lately.


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## Cornish-J (Sep 4, 2011)

another vote for repashy calcium plus for my darts, every feed.


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## exoticsandtropics (Mar 11, 2007)

i'm a fan of vetark stuff still. nutrobal, arkvits and ace high etc little and often.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

In my mind it is important to choose a quality brand that has formulated a compound that meets the needs of the animal. A supplement that contains beta-carotene is a good idea as Amphibs do seem to suffer from vit A depletion. B.C is better as it is converted inside of the body in a natural way and cannot be over provided whereas it is possible to overdose on pure A. same with D3 really.

it seems that B.C is also responsible for increasing deep colouration in Amphibs. 

the holy grail will be the brand that can work out exactly how much powder is required per species and per gram of bodyweight and how often. until then regardless of quality it can only be pure guess work and as such you run the knife edge of either under or over provision.

Repashy does seem to be very well formulated and forward thinking as a brand. 

john,


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## DrNick (Sep 20, 2012)

I think the vit A point is a subject for debate. I'm no expert, but the recent info I have seen suggests that providing beta carotene rarely (if ever) leads to hypovitamintosis mainly because the conversion rate of BC to retinol in amphibians is poor at best. I.e. under captive (sub-optimal) conditions a BC supplement is insufficient. This is in fact highlighted on the Repashy website:

"Plant sources of Vitamin A such as Beta Carotene and other Carotenoids must be converted into this active animal form to be utilized by the body. Carotenoids can be converted into Retinol by some species given optimal conditions but it has been shown that deficiencies can develop if Preformed Vitamin A is not directly provided in the Retinol form."

The literature suggests that the specific monooxygenase required to metabolise BC is absent from the digestive systems of many amphibia (although this is not known for darts specifically). If that is the case, providing BC is not a useful way to deliver vit A supplementation and may do more harm than good if people think that by providing BC they are satisfying the animals' vit A demands. 

This is not to say that carotenoids in general have no place in an amphibian diet - I'm sure they do. But on the basis of the current evidence BC is no substitute for fat soluble vit A provided with care. This is simply going of what I have read so, as I say, may be subject to debate!

Nick


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

There has to be a balance, in my mind and from research into this new book that I'm writing I would prefer to offer B.C as an almost everyday source.

having said that pure A can be found in the wild from fish, brains and eyes etc. so it would be ingested as part of a full and varied diets which is without doubt the ideal and ultimate for all captive keepers.

we really still know very little about it all I feel,

I wish sometimes that we could spin through time 10 years and see what we are doing then and copy that!

john






DrNick said:


> I think the vit A point is a subject for debate. I'm no expert, but the recent info I have seen suggests that providing beta carotene rarely (if ever) leads to hypovitamintosis mainly because the conversion rate of BC to retinol in amphibians is poor at best. I.e. under captive (sub-optimal) conditions a BC supplement is insufficient. This is in fact highlighted on the Repashy website:
> 
> "Plant sources of Vitamin A such as Beta Carotene and other Carotenoids must be converted into this active animal form to be utilized by the body. Carotenoids can be converted into Retinol by some species given optimal conditions but it has been shown that deficiencies can develop if Preformed Vitamin A is not directly provided in the Retinol form."
> 
> ...


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

You two do this to me intentionally :mf_dribble: ^^^^^^^^^ sigh!! Good job they gave me that keep it simple stu??? phrase, or I'd be scuppered:lol2:

Creg: repashy Ca plus every feed of FF,apart from repashy vit A once every two weeks,all springtail and woodlice contain Ca plus in the form of cuttle fish bone

Stu


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## DrNick (Sep 20, 2012)

I see what caused the confusion stu and I apologise - I wrote hypovitamintosis when I actually meant hypervitamintosis!! And 'of' instead of 'off' on the last line - I don't blame you, I can barely understand that drivel myself!!


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## creg (Jun 10, 2012)

:lol2:


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