Hi, can someone tell me what they "dust" their fruit flies with and how often ? I've read several articles and they suggest different supplements. Thank you.
In no particular order:
Rotation with different fresh products is what you want to strive for.
Herptivite
Reptical (Calc)
Exoterra has a new Rep/ Amp vit out now
Dendrocare (German but found here thru Black Jungle or on eBay)
Nekton Rep ( " " )
NatuRose (Supp, not a vit)
Rapashy
(not in direct response to Cer)
Must I dust ?
Must I really use FF and not Crickets or mealworms or something else ?
Yes and Yes.
Not willing to culture fruit flies and understand and use proper, fresh superfine calcium and vitamin powders in a rotation will result in:
Fail.
Phil, in regard to the NatuRose (Supp, not a vit) I'm guessing that it indicates it is a supplement not a vitamin. What I'm wanting to understand is the difference between a supplement and a vitamin powder so I can use things appropriately.
NatuRose is a colour enhancer that actually started out as a "human grade" product years ago and has since been discontinued or unavailable under that particular product name. Another product popped up in it's place and I seem to think it was Asian in origin. NatuRose is sometimes still available from different places - older hobbyists. Rapashy "pigment" products seem to pick up the baton nicely on this issue, though.
Colour enhancers are not necessary for frog health.
Thanks Phil,
If the NaturRose is that old would it be safe to say it may be degraded by now? Just out of curiosity, as I would go with the easier to find Rapashy once I need some supplements etc.
I see the Repashy Calcium supps, have various amounts of vitamin D in them. What is the current knowledge on how much D is needed by darts?
(Let's assume no UV light exposure if that affects the choice.)
Lady Bullseye Wrote:I see the Repashy Calcium supps, have various amounts of vitamin D in them. What is the current knowledge on how much D is needed by darts?
(Let's assume no UV light exposure if that affects the choice.)
I have yet to see someone even getting close to putting in print somewhere - "How much Vitamin D is needed". There's just absolutely no scientific studies. No HOBBY studies even.
My best advice. Use what all the long-time / larger scale breeders are using (everything listed above) and use a rotation of several things, that way you are covering your bases and playing the percentages better than just hoping one supp will do it all....
There's no set doctrine for dusting schedules either. Most people dust often, if not every single feeding.
I agree that using several products in rotation is the best practice. I know that for a long time RepCal and Herptivite were the best things out there, but I think the correlation between Vit. A and Dart Frog reproductive success has left them behind. I no longer include them in my rotation, however I do still give it to reptiles in a rotation as well. I personally use a lot of the Repashy products as well as Dendrocare and Miner-All and Vit-All. With the Repashy products I use the Calcium with Medium D, thinking that it's better to under dose Vit. D than overdose it. I tend to give froglets and juvis a little more calcium supplementation, does growing frogs bones good.
Rotation is key IMO....do not just use 'Rapashy' and nothing else. I ALWAYS use 3 or more Different superfine powdered vitamins and at least 2 DIFFERENT calciums.
Rotation. Nekton rep is a great german vitamin to have in the rotation.
Don't just use Rapashy and nothing else.
Rusty_Shackleford Wrote:I agree that using several products in rotation is the best practice. I know that for a long time RepCal and Herptivite were the best things out there, but I think the correlation between Vit. A and Dart Frog reproductive success has left them behind. I no longer include them in my rotation, however I do still give it to reptiles in a rotation as well. I personally use a lot of the Repashy products as well as Dendrocare and Miner-All and Vit-All. With the Repashy products I use the Calcium with Medium D, thinking that it's better to under dose Vit. D than overdose it. I tend to give froglets and juvis a little more calcium supplementation, does growing frogs bones good.
Repcal is a product I try to discourage people from using since it is derived from crushed oyster shell. Oysters being filter feeders tend to harbor large concentrations of toxic pollutants(particularly heavy metals) in their shell and thus wihin your supplement
hock:
Seeing so many people trying to use only one dusting powder often Rapashy. Man, I never put all my eggs in one basket. I just don't.
Isn't it easier to get newbs to use one supplement at first ? To get them used to the concept and practice of supplements before moving on to a rotation of supplements. When I first started keeping frogs I already had many years of keeping other herps under my belt. I was already in the habit of using supplements. I do agree that a rotation of supplements is beneficial as opposed to using just one supplement. Why? Well the truth is we just don't know what combination of supplements is best so a rotation gives us the best chance at ensuring no essential vitamin or mineral is lacking.
I used Repashy Calcium Plus alone for the last couple of years, I just added Super Preen into the rotation a couple of weeks ago.
Is super preen a German Vitamin ? With your rare stuff Chris, I'd be using a rotation that would include 2-3 of the 'better stuff' - def a German Vit or 2. I'd build into the frog budget, about $90.00 a year for Vits and Calcs.
Rusty_Shackleford Wrote:Isn't it easier to get newbs to use one supplement at first ? To get them used to the concept and practice of supplements before moving on to a rotation of supplements. When I first started keeping frogs I already had many years of keeping other herps under my belt. I was already in the habit of using supplements. I do agree that a rotation of supplements is beneficial as opposed to using just one supplement. Why? Well the truth is we just don't know what combination of supplements is best so a rotation gives us the best chance at ensuring no essential vitamin or mineral is lacking.
Fixed your 1st sentence for ya Jon...I think you meant ' at first', right ?
Ya..you are right about Noobs. They don't know a lot at first and Rapashy is a decent product. I just dislike the many newer hobbyists saying the Rapashy is all you need, is all.
Philsuma Wrote:I just dislike the many newer hobbyists saying the Rapashy is all you need, is all.
Ed says it also though -
Philsuma Wrote:Is super preen a German Vitamin ? With your rare stuff Chris, I'd be using a rotation that would include 2-3 of the 'better stuff' - def a German Vit or 2. I'd build into the frog budget, about $90.00 a year for Vits and Calcs.
No I think it's an American bird supplement, all-around like Repashy Calcium Plus and it has the Vit A Palmitate instead of just Beta Carotene alone.
Well I had so much success with just the Repashy alone for years that I didn't want to mess with anything, but in the last 4 months or so I had some cases of spindly in multiple species so I was thinking maybe I had a bad batch or something and opened a new bag of Repashy as well as throwing the Super Preen into the rotation since lots of old timers swear by it. Another thing - I only feed/dust once or twice a week since my tanks are well seeded with other stuff and I use clay recipe and/or Turface substrate.