Vitamins & Calcium supplements

[Reptiles101]

My Thick-Tailed Gecko Harley is settling in very well and has stated to eat, he had 5 crickets that were coated with (rep-cal) calcium powder.

But I'm not sure how many times he needs them coated, is one feed with calcium then the next without, so on and so on what I should be doing?

Also with the Reptivite (vitamin powder) how many times will I need to coat his crickets or woodies with it?

 

[lizardwhisperer]

Don't have geks , but my skinks get their Repti-Cal daily dusted on their crickets and snails , and their salad and greens and fruit gets a dusting each day too, I don't put the Repti-Vite on the salad and greens and fruit (the skinks don't seem to like the smell or taste) but I do mix it (equalish amounts to dust insects every other day).

 

[Reptiles101]

Thanks lizardwhisperer. So dust his crickets & woodies with calcium powder everyday?

Can anyone help me with how many times I would dust his food with Reptivite powder?

 

[Grogshla]

vitamins 1 time a week calcium 3-4 times a week.
I would feed him every day or every 2nd day approximately 3-5 crickets

 

[NickGeee]

Anyone noticed that the calcium supplements smell alot like yogurt? 8)

 

[Reptiles101]

Thanks Grogshla, yeah I have noticed that about the calcium powder Nick, does that mean its good?

Also should he be on small crickets or medium?

 

[Tobe404]

I dust my Geckos Crickets every feed, which is every day or second day. About 3-5 at a time depending on how hungry he/she is and size of the Crickets.

Is what I use.

 

[Grogshla]

as long as the crickets arent bigger than roughly the size between the geckos eyes then that is a good size. I would personally say that he should be smashing medium crickets

 

[Reptiles101]

That's the one I use Tobe404, he's sort of in the middle when it comes to the cricket sizes, the small are smaller then the space between his eyes, but the medium are bigger than the space between his eyes.

 

[Grogshla]

probably best to keep him on smalls for now then and bump them up in a few months

 

[Reptiles101]

Sounds like a good idea, thanks Grogshla

 

[dragonlover1]

Thanks lizardwhisperer. So dust his crickets & woodies with calcium powder everyday?

Can anyone help me with how many times I would dust his food with Reptivite powder?

I wouldn't dust with calcium EVERY day they can actually get to a point where they can't absorb calcium so a day a week without calcium is fine, I use calcium 3-4 times and vitamins 1-2 times (same brand )

 

[Reptiles101]

So 3 to 4 times a week dust the crickets with calcium powder? and dust the crickets with vitamin powder 1 to 2 times a week?

Didn't know they can't absorb calcium if feed to much of it, I always learn something new here.

 

[lizardwhisperer]

I dust my Geckos Crickets every feed, which is every day or second day. About 3-5 at a time depending on how hungry he/she is and size of the Crickets.

Is what I use.

same stuff I use, and the repti-vite.

I've been using the same jar of vitamin powder for 3 years, and gone through 3 jars of the calcium powder in the same time.

Next time you order takeaway chinese or takeaway bbq chicken and get a little round tub with gravy or dipping sause in it, keep the tub, they are great for dusting the bugs in.

Just put about fingernails worth of each powder (calcium and vitamins) in place your bug in, put the lid on and mix by gently shaking and wollah, dusty bugs, and no mess, the powder will stay good a few days in it too so less wastage, no wastage actually as the lumpy old dusting powder mixture goes in and through the mealworm bedding/food and they get to eat it and get gutloaded.