Supplement/Vitamin Help!

[Chameleon101]

Again, this seems to be all over the forums but I haven't gotten any clear answers and there seems to be different opions.

I just brought home a 5 month old Amanja Panther boy sooo excited, but want to make sure I'm providing the very best for him.

I'm currently feeding my crickets a combination of fruits, grapes, apples etc and veggies, greens and carrots etc. In addition I'm also giving them Fluckers High Calcium Cricket diet. I have the food in there everyday so I'm assuming that I am gut loading them properly??

My Chameleon is also on Rep Cal, but I seem to be reading alot about the frequency that it is sprinkled on the crickets as well as which kind to use?
Is is supposed to have D3 or not have D3? Should it be Phosphorous free?

I'm currently using a spot daylight lamp (75W) over his basking spot on one end of his cage and a repti-sun 5.0 bulb for his UVA/UVB. He is in an Exo Terra 24 high x 24 wide x 18" deep screened cage.

Also wondering if anyone recommends additional supplementation for my Chameleon?

 

[ChromaChameleons]

Im currently using:

RepCAl calcium (with D3) once a week

RepCal calcium (without D3) 3 times a week

Heptivite Vitamins once a month

Minerall 0 once a month


Im also debating on replacing the Heptivite, due to it not having any vitamin A. In the meantime , I supplement with a dot of vitamin A from a gel cap once a month.

My regimen covers calcium,D3,vitamins and minerals.

NOTE: D3 and Vitamin A can easily be overdosed, so don't overdo it!

 

[Chameleon101]

Thanks Harry!

Your always such a big help! Now what do you think about the Rep Cal being Phosphorous free?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Thanks Harry!

Your always such a big help! Now what do you think about the Rep Cal being Phosphorous free?

good.
It should be. Most insects have a decent amount of Phosphorous in them. We balance this by dusting with calcium that has none.

-Brad

 

[ChromaChameleons]

Hi Angie:

I'm looking at both the RepCal calcium with and without D3.. both are phosphorus free. That's what you want . Crickets have a Calcium to Phosphorous ratio that is corrected by using calcium supplements. The last thing you want to do is to be adding even more phosphorous, when that is the very thing you are trying to balance against.

I believe you want to achieve a 2:1 ratio...

 

[ChromaChameleons]

you beat me to it , Brad...LOL

 

[kinyonga]

ChromaChameleons said..."Im also debating on replacing the Heptivite, due to it not having any vitamin A. In the meantime , I supplement with a dot of vitamin A from a gel cap once a month"...the good thing about using Herptivite is that the chameleon is still getting all the other vitamins without the danger of overdoing the vitamin A....and you still have the "freedom" to give the vitamin A using the gel cap. If you get a vitamin powder with the preformed why not keep the Herptivite and use both on alternating schedules?
Just a thought...

 

[ChromaChameleons]

Very good thought , Kinyonga.. thanks. That does make sense.

BTW, I have already seen results from adding the dot of vit A in ony 2 applications. I'm convinced that Beta Carotene is not a substitute, but this is a dangerous road to go down , if you aren't prepared to take it carefully.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

ChromaChameleons said..."Im also debating on replacing the Heptivite, due to it not having any vitamin A. In the meantime , I supplement with a dot of vitamin A from a gel cap once a month"...the good thing about using Herptivite is that the chameleon is still getting all the other vitamins without the danger of overdoing the vitamin A....and you still have the "freedom" to give the vitamin A using the gel cap. If you get a vitamin powder with the preformed why not keep the Herptivite and use both on alternating schedules?
Just a thought...

This is what I do.
Very wise to exercise caution in the supplementation of Vitamin A (I only do the gel cap drop once or twice a month at most.

-Brad

 

[Tydis]

This is what I do.
Very wise to exercise caution in the supplementation of Vitamin A (I only do the gel cap drop once or twice a month at most.

-Brad

Do you also use a powder?

 

[ChromaChameleons]

Brad are you using Viatamin A for all your chams. I would imagine montanes would be very sensitive to oversupplementation.

Im currently doing one drop a month.

What strength in I.U. are the gel caps you are using???