Liquid and Powder Vitamins?

Ok i was wondering if anyone else was using liquid or powderd vitamins added to the water or food that we give our hermies. I have been using Avitron liquid bird vitamins, not alot just 1 drop mixed in with the regular water for all dishes and then for the straws i was mixing 2 drops per salt water bath in a bowl once every 10 days, i did notice that the straws was acting much better eatting better and just doing much better, i also noticed that when Violet molted as i checked her over and her exo to bad she passed away from injuries from Liliths attack, But she/he had a much more colorful body compared to when the other molt, i dont think it would have taken her long to get super red as well as harden up, plus i am wondering if the added vitamins help her/him molt much quicker and easier as she/he was active and eatting right up to few hrs befour the molt.. Im also considering adding Herptvite reptile powder vitamins to the food mix as well and then once on that cut the liquid vitamins off.. Now herptivte has 2 diffrent types one with calcium and one without. So im gona do a test run soon of this and see how things go. Im going to use it mainly on the teeny tiny micros and also the big brutes. I will use it for several months if theres no bad side effects from the first few doses im gona continue to use it, i will start off by adding a tiny pinch to the food mix once a week then work my way up to a tiny pinch 2 times a week.. If it hadnt been for Lilith attacking Violet i may have seen results from the liquid Avitron mixed with salt bath. I hate doing test runs on my babies but if it helps them and it can help others why not give it a try.. Any input of what you all think is welcome. I have not started the powder vitamins yet its something im gona do soon though. If these vitamins can help with molts and also with combating illness and other probs its deffinatly worth it.

 

Let us know how your test goes! We never tried vitamins, except oyster shells and such...hmmmmmm


Jenny

 

OK i have desided im gona go ahead and start working with the powderd vitamins within the next 2 weeks im gona order it and start with 1 tiny pinch mixed in with the food once a week. I will do that for 2 weeks then up it to twice a week mixed with the food. I will only be using a super tiny pinch. I will run this test and continue using it as long as i dont see any bad ill effects. I shall run this for 6 to 8 months and report if i notice anything like easier molts , growing better, more activity, less PPS and over all general health. If they do well with it i think i will start supplying a small cap with the powder in it so they can pic at it on there own and watch to see if indeed they choose to go to the vitamin powder cap on there own. Im going to be doing this with a few teeny micros so wish me luck everyone and lets hope i learn something from it that may help the health and well being of the hermies in the future.. I will post the product and the list of ingrediants it has in it..

 

Ok heres a link to the vitamin "Herptivite" its in the container with the blue lable.
http://www.reptiledepot.com/Repcalv.html
heres another link to it, now im trying to find a list of the ingredients in it, as soon as i do i will post that also.
http://www.repcal.com/supp.htm
and then this is the other form of a vitamin i was also thinking about using.
http://www.miner-all.net/STFMINER-ALL.htm

 

Interesting, Thanks for the links CUDA!

Cappa

 

Your welcome Cappa, ok so im going with "Herptivite" For the micros im gona mix it with there food, i have also desided to put a small amount in a cap in with all the other hermie tanks that way i can know for sure if they are going to the vitamin cap on there own to pick at it and eat it, I have been running this thru my mind for few days now i am gona have a sheet with days on it that i place it in and who and how many of the hermies show intrest in it, at night while im sleeping is gona be the hard part to catch um in it. I know you all probably think im NUTS but hey gota try something like i said that might benifit all hermies in the futre. I just didnt really know which route i wanted to go with this test run and knowing i have so many hermies at diffrent sizes and diffrent species, what if it benifits one type hermie more than another. What does everyone think?? Cappa what do you think? Do you think this is worth it and a good idea??

 

You picked an excellent vitamin for the crabs! I use it for my turtles. One thing I must add is that the Herptivite has no calcium or vitamin D3 in it. Rep-Cal produces that in a totally separate product either with or without phosphorus. While I am not so hermit crab knowledgeable as far as sun light goes for them, I give the turtles the Herptivite and the Calcium with D3 Phosphorus free in a 50/50 mix. If proper UVA/UVB rays are not given to a turtle they cannot produce D3 naturally and therefore do not metabolize calcium. It is difficult to get a good bulb for them without paying like $70 to provide this and for some you can't get your turtles outside for the natural sun like me. Also, if there is too much phosphorus in their diet then the calcium is useless. Since Calcium is something needed for hermit crabs, you may want to add the calcium with D3 phosphorus free to the mix.... it has the pink label.

 

I have only used calcium supplements for my crabs, as from what I have heard we have no definitive studies on what ratios of any other vitamins/minerals they need. Right now I am using Jurassi-Cal powder, and they actually seem to like the taste when I sprinkle it on their food.

Other than that, I try to supplement their commercial food with fresh veggies/fruit, seaweed sheets, and fish flakes to catch the other nutrients. I also use freeze dried blood worms and krill for protein.

 

cpcmember2000, thanks tons for the input and greatly apreciated as well, the Mineral has 2 formulas as well one with cal and one without.. Maybe i will go with that one.. I truely think hermies are lacking serious vits and minerals that we dont know about.

 

Simone,
I just bought the Jurassi-cal. How much do you mix in. I was reading the label and figured just a pinch or so would do. I also have cuttlebone and I just ordered some crushed oyster shell and Hikari Crab Cuisine. I also feed them (crushed):

Sushi-Nori Seaweed
Hikari Krill
Wardley Brine Shrimp
Hikari Daphinia
Hikari Blood Worms
Raspberry Leaves
Kaytee Healthy Toppings (Carrots/coconut&raspberries)
Gardener's HC Food
T-Rex Crab Island HC Food
FMR LHC Food
FMR LHC Treat
Marigold Flowers (dried)
Cuttlebone
Wardley HC Food (100% shrimp)
Hikari Algae Wafers

supplemented with fresh fruits/veges. Like Cuda said, there are probably vitamins and minerals that we don't know about-so I hope I can find most of them in the food I feed. I am still increasing my food list because I like them to have a variety. I want to find some Hikari Discus Red Color Enhancer, Hikari Spirulina and Pro Balance by Penn Plax. It would be nice if more scientific research were done on this subject. Does anyone know of any organization that does hermie research-other than FMR?