I ordered some stuff from e-bay, and it included a bottle of Four Paws Nature's Reptile Vita-Spray. I'm hesitant to use it without getting your opinions, because I've never come across anything saying they (Leopard Geckos and AFTs) need it. Here's the Petco link that describes the product:

Four Paws Nature's Reptile Vita-Spray at PETCO

I'd appreciate your input very much.

Jen Gal

I've never heard of it. Leopard Geckos are desert species and I do not think they would benefit from this product. The AFT's might but I really know nothing about them. Might be good for my snakes. I think I'll research this a bit.

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Ken
" The United States Marine Corps......sure we are a department of the Navy,,,,,,we're the MENS department "

"I ordered some stuff from e-bay, and it included a bottle of Four Paws Nature's Reptile Vita-Spray. I'm hesitant to use it without getting your opinions, because I've never come across anything saying they (leopard geckos and AFTs) need it."

-I personally keep a very small (like 4cm diameter) tuperware lid filled with "T-Rex: 2-0 (calcium/phosphate) powdered supplement with vitamins" in the cage at all times. You could use the 2-1 (calcium/phosphate) one too. These are good because it contains both calcium and vitamin D3, which is essential for healty reptiles. You can also use "Salus: Calcium Magnesium with Zinc and Vitamin D3", which is a liquid calcium supplement that can be found at specialty health stores. If you can't find it, you might have to order it from somewhere (sorry I don't know where).

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Grammostola rosea 0.1.0
Pandinus imperator 2.0.0
Lampropeltis getula nigrita 0.1.0
Uromastyx maliensis 0.1.0
Rhacodactylus ciliatus 2.2.2
Uroplatus henkeli 0.0.1
Eublepharis macularius 1.0.0

I don't care much for any of the sprays. Its impossible to tell how just much you are actually using. And being a liquid a lot of it will run off into the bottom of the bowl.
I'd stick with the powder supplements.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I am with Merlin. I personally find most of those sprays to be over-priced gimmicks. I prefer Rep-Cal (powder) for my calcium and vitamin supplements.

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I went to Petco to get the powder, and now I'm even further confused. For one thing, the guy there (who seems to know quite a bit, and is usually right on cue) said that it's not necessary to make a dish of calcium powder available to them. He said that it's adequate to just use the T-Rex Gecko powder or ReptiVite on their insects. He also said that he's never seen a reptile actually eat calcium powder, and that none of the serious reptiphiles he knows does this. Furthermore, he indicated that it is useless to give them a supp. that contains D and Calcium together, because they cancel eachother out unless taken at separate times. This actually makes sense because, like A, K and E, D is a fatty vitamin. The fatty vitamins should be taken separately from the others. For instance, E helps the absorption of calcium, but they must be taken at different times.
So, what's the concensus on these questions:
1.) Is the gecko dust adequate, or do they need a separate calcium supplement?
2.) If the latter, will they actually eat the calcium powder on its own, or should I put it on their food?
3.) Are D & Calcium incompatible in one supplement?

Thanks for answering, if you can.

Jen Gal

"For one thing, the guy there (who seems to know quite a bit, and is usually right on cue) said that it's not necessary to make a dish of calcium powder available to them."

-I'd call B.S. on that. Leopard Geckos are notorious lickers. They lick everything, including the calcium powder. I have witnessed this many times. When I put my Leo back in his cage, and I place him near his calcium dish he takes a lick.

"He also said that he's never seen a reptile actually eat calcium powder, and that none of the serious reptiphiles he knows does this."

-He obviously hasn't looked hard enough. Serious reptiphiles he knows? Can't be that good if NONE of them has ever seen any reptile lick calcium powder.

"Are D & Calcium incompatible in one supplement?"

-No. Reptiles need Vitamin D3 to process calcium. Vitamin D3 usually occurs through solar radiation (plus some food sources, or solid Vitamin D3 made for reptile use). They obviously aren't incompatible because T-Rex makes several products that contain D3 and calcium together, and they work just fine.

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Grammostola rosea 0.1.0
Pandinus imperator 2.0.0
Lampropeltis getula nigrita 0.1.0
Uromastyx maliensis 0.1.0
Rhacodactylus ciliatus 2.2.2
Uroplatus henkeli 0.0.1
Eublepharis macularius 1.0.0

Good answers. You guys give me much better advice than he does. There's another guy at Petco whose advice is much more in synch with the forum's, and one at the far away Petco whom I trust more up until now. The dude who gave me the erroneous calcium advice has been a lay-ichteologist (sp) since childhood, and I think he's truly an expert in that. However, perhaps he's probably picked up most of his rep. knowledge there at Petco. Oh well...

"You guys give me much better advice than he does.", "The dude who gave me the erroneous calcium advice has been a lay-ichteologist (sp) since childhood, and I think he's truly an expert in that. However, perhaps he's probably picked up most of his rep. knowledge there at Petco. Oh well..."

-Yes, yes I like to think we do know a bit more than your "average" pet store employee.

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Grammostola rosea 0.1.0
Pandinus imperator 2.0.0
Lampropeltis getula nigrita 0.1.0
Uromastyx maliensis 0.1.0
Rhacodactylus ciliatus 2.2.2
Uroplatus henkeli 0.0.1
Eublepharis macularius 1.0.0

Hello,


Supplementing the insects with vitamins and calcium is adequate but a calcium supplemnt left in a dish as well is fine. (I also suggest everyone do it. I myself do with all of my Leopard Geckos.)

Yes, they will "lick" frpm the calcium dish. I have visually seen mine do it on more than one occasion. I dust my feeders with calcium as well. The idea of leaving a dish of calcium in the enclosure is actually a long standing practice that likely started with breeders. Leopard Geckos that are being bred, particularly the females, require added calcium for egg formation. Instead of forcing them to eat additional calcium by adding it to their feeders regularly, you simply allow them to choose when they need it.

It was also designed to help stop Leopard Geckos kept on sand from intentionally eating the substrate. A leo that is lacking any minerals will intentionally eat the substrate (pending it is sand or the like) in an effort to supplement itself.

He was partially correct in his answer. It has been documented that certain species cannot metabolise ingested d3. This hasn't been proven yet though with nocturnal species that have little to no UV exposure. (Almost every animal, even nocturnal, has some sort of UV exposure).

D3 is required, as stated, for the metabolization (if thats a word, lol) process of dietary calcium. I do not know if they would actually cancel each other out though. I have never heard of this. I do know though that the absorption process is done in stages.

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