BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi there. Yes, I'm a newbie to the forum. But I plan to stick around. So I won't be a newbie for long. My name is Diane and I am currently living in Pasadena, Maryland. I will soon be a new mommy to my first Bluey and I had a quick question.

I was wondering if I should purchase a water bowl that is lined with a calcium bottom that I saw for reptiles/amphibians for my new Bluey. After seeing some of the pictures posted about Calcium Deficiency... I am worried. I also have a vitamin powder (from when I got my toadlets). I sprinkle it on their crickets before I feed them. Is it necessary to use the supplements for the Blue Tongued Skink baby I plan to purchase from this site? What are your thoughts? Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks again!

You can actually just buy calcium like the way the vitamin comes, in a powder form. That's what I have for my bluey. You just sprinkle it over food like the vitamin, I got mine from Petco.

Yeah, i also have a Calcium powder that i sprinkle over my blueys food.

f.C

My vet told me that there is some debate over the bio availability of the calcium supplements that are available in the pet trade. However, my opinion is that it never hurts to supplement. I alternate between miner all and reptivite. My guys both seem to be looking great! Another option is to feed things like pheonix worms that are naturally high in calcium.

If you ever cook eggs, save the empty shells, boil them, dry them for a day and crush them with a rolling pin/meat tenderizer until powdered. A food processor works too. You now have excellent calcium powder.

If you feed a diet as suggested by the caresheet, you won't have problems with calcium, therefore, won't need to add any.

Hope that helps, and welcome to the forum!

KW

MartinsPerson wrote:My vet told me that there is some debate over the bio availability of the calcium supplements that are available in the pet trade. However, my opinion is that it never hurts to supplement. I alternate between miner all and reptivite. My guys both seem to be looking great! Another option is to feed things like pheonix worms that are naturally high in calcium.

I believe that it sometimes can hurt to supplement. "Too much of a good thing," comes to mind. There are complications with over-supplementing as well, build-ups of certain minerals and harm from over-calcifying a diet.

The idea is balance, which is why the food chart was researched and made available to everyone. There is more information about this, such as getting a good calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet, on the caresheet...

...or maybe Kelly will chime in with her .99 cents.

KW

KyleWeiss wrote:

MartinsPerson wrote:My vet told me that there is some debate over the bio availability of the calcium supplements that are available in the pet trade. However, my opinion is that it never hurts to supplement. I alternate between miner all and reptivite. My guys both seem to be looking great! Another option is to feed things like pheonix worms that are naturally high in calcium.

I believe that it sometimes can hurt to supplement. "Too much of a good thing," comes to mind. There are complications with over-supplementing as well, build-ups of certain minerals and harm from over-calcifying a diet.

The idea is balance, which is why the food chart was researched and made available to everyone. There is more information about this, such as getting a good calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet, on the caresheet...

...or maybe Kelly will chime in with her .99 cents.

KW

Kyles pretty much said it - you only left me .01 cent to say!

Strive to acheive a good calcium to phosporous ratio with the diet (see the food chart) and feed a good variety of the high quality foods. I pretty much only rotate between all the foods listed as "daily" and sometimes toss in an "occasional" food item (but never serving more "occasional" items than "daily" items one in a meal). I only use the high calcium inverts such as silkworms, roaches, snails and phoenix worms. On occasion I use waxworms or butterworms, but I reserve them more as treats. I do offer a tad bit of supplements rotating between Miner-all and Repcal, but just a small sprinkle and only on the food (I don't on the inverts because they are high calcium already).

I've never heard of those bowls.

I've never heard of a calcium bottom bowl, but the vitamin powder works great, and another way to prevent calcium deficiency is by using a UVB lamp. About 10-12 hours a day will greatly help prevent calcium deficiency, just turn it on when you wake up and ture it off when you go to sleep.

Calcium is poorly soluble in water. I have never seen a calcium lined bowl and find it hard to believe calcium would actually be released into water and be available for absorption. If acidic water was used, it may work but then you end up with a whole new pH conundrum.

As Kyle mentioned ground eggshell is the best bioavailable calcium source you can use. Calcium is a tricky supplement. It must be offered in a form that can actually be used and in the proper ratios as mentioned.

If you see an ad again for the bowl, I'd love to see it. thanks!

Arkangel wrote:Calcium is poorly soluble in water. I have never seen a calcium lined bowl and find it hard to believe calcium would actually be released into water and be available for absorption. If acidic water was used, it may work but then you end up with a whole new pH conundrum.

See, I was wondering the same thing. Isn't calcium (carbonate) basically chalk, which won't make a solution in water very easily?

KW

Wow! I wasn't expecting so much help. You are all such a wealth of valuable information. So glad I found you! I printed out all your responses and plan to use the info when I receive my baby.

Here is a link to the water dish I purchased. Cut and paste.

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Healthy-Cal ... category=8

Take care and thanks again for all the responses!

Diane
(mom22wins) Yes it's pronounced mom to twins

I figured you were pround of your 22 wins. I'll probably keep thinking that for a while.

Glad we could help! You'll find we're quite the machine here, there's a lot of very bright and brilliant, experienced and creative folks around here. It's why I keep coming back, and why I have a healthy skink.

KW

KyleWeiss wrote:I figured you were pround of your 22 wins. I'll probably keep thinking that for a while.

She said, 'Mum to twins'

KyleWeiss wrote: there's a lot of very bright and brilliant, experienced and creative folks around here.

...And then there's Kyle


Diane, if you have a good diet with a healthy calcium:phosphorus ratio and if you can get your lizard out in the sun lots, supplements aren't required, or only very occasionally to regain a balance if they've been a bit picky.

Snails are an excellent and natural source of calcium, too.

It's true. I'm here to keep the balance!

KW

Lisa wrote:

KyleWeiss wrote:I figured you were pround of your 22 wins. I'll probably keep thinking that for a while.

She said, 'Mum to twins'

KyleWeiss wrote: there's a lot of very bright and brilliant, experienced and creative folks around here.

...And then there's Kyle

Hi, Diane!

Zach wrote:

Yeah, well... well... um what have YOU done for this place lately...





KW

Oh, I think your doing a great job over there yourself. I'll just be over here observing (and laughing on occasion.)

BTW, Hi Zach!