calcium dust question

[karmacham]

ok..I found this brand new bottle of 2:1 calcium/phosphorus powdered supplement with vitamin dust stuff that I apparently acquired with a fish tank I got from an old friend. it reads: per 60 g
Ca max 32.4%
Ca min 27%
Phosphorus min 16.5%
Vit A 21,000 IU
Vit D3 2160 IU
Vit C 141 mg

my question is this: is this stuff ok to dust my crickets with? is it a good product or should I throw it out?

to date I have gotten my crickets dusted by the local pet store, and I'd really rather do it myself with something I know is good for them. I have an adult female Jacksons as well as a baby female veiled. Any input is appreciated

 

[Dean Pulcini]

I don't dust for my montane species I feed it to the crickets instead. That stuff has d3 so be careful and it also has vitamins. I like to keep my calcium and vitamins separated because I don't use vitamins as much as the calcium.

 

[sageghost]

I agree. I keep them separate as well. For my Jackson's and Rudis, I dont supplement as much as I do for the other chams Im working with. They get some good gut-loaded crickets and roaches and that does them great.

 

[karmacham]

ok..thanks I'm wondering what I can do with this stuff...I don't wanna just throw it away yet, I might find some use for it in the future.

 

[MWheelock]

You are the second person in the last week that has mentioned that the pet store dusted the crickets before they went home.

This is curious for 2 reasons, and I'd love some feedback.

1) After about an hour or two (sometimes even quicker) crickets will clean themselves of the powder. this is important, because if your cham doesn't eat them right away, they aren't getting much (if any) calcium from the dusting.

2) For those crickets that clean and eats too much of the calcium will die quicker (within a few days). So the crickets don't live as long and you have to replentish your stock quicker.

 

[Dean Pulcini]

I haven't noticed cricket die off when I feed them directly but then again I buy them by the thousand and I don't over due it either. The one time I used vitall the prescribed way and I had a huge die off now I feed it to them dry. Same with the calcium