Use of vitamin and calcium powder

[Normski2020uk]

Hello all. I'm just interested in the over all use of callcium suplements and vitamins. When i first got my Scorps i was sold this Calcium dusting powder and instructed to dust my bugs before feeding. Wich i did religiously, until i started breeding my own feeders, and noticed the gel and food was fortifyed with caclum.
Does any one else use supliments, or simular stuff, and if you feed your feeders on a nice fresh diet is it needed, I think not. My Scorps enjoy a verired diet from regular Crickets, roaches, Locust, Spiders, through to big Hissing roaches and a once a year treat of a pinky. Please let me know your thoughts

 

[GanjaTaz]

The place where I get a lot of my kit from handed over a gem of info.

While discussing this subject the guy I was talking too mentioned the fact he himself got sick of the costs involved with the powders and the like and found a nice cheap alternative.

Porridge oats, or other types of cereals of this nature. However, it gets even better. Apparently the cheaper stuff is the kind you want, as it is less refined than the more expensive brands. I got a small bag of porridge oats from Tesco's, cost about 60 pence for a moderate size bag (should feed a lot of crix for a long time without a doubt) and my crix seem to love it, they graze on the stuff with vigour. I place a bit of a coating on the floor of the oats in the container I keep them in and also add a bit of fruit every few days and they seem as happy as can be.

 

[Normski2020uk]

Yeh this is pritty much what i do, i do use bug grub, but i think i will convert to Oats, and i throw in any fruit, veg thats going, off cuts from dinner, or if their lucky a whole fruit. They love water melon

 

[~Abyss~]

I dont dust my crix, altough i should for my frog but, i do stuff them with minerals and calcium before i feed them off,

 

[cacoseraph]

well, we know virtually nothing about the dietary requirements of scorps. these sups are designed for herps.

i would say there is equal chance that a light dusting does as much harm as good

i would say there is a better than equal chance that a thick coating does more harm than good.

every vitamin and mineral an animal needs becomes a poison and too high of levels.

good feeder nutrition should equal good predator nutrition. plenty of animals have been raised from cbb egg to grave leading productive lives on just plain ol' store bought crix... i would say the potential for harm outweighs the potential for good

 

[pandinus]

a scorpion's chelicerea are hardened by metals that can be broken down by calcium. an overabundance of calcium in an arachnid's diet can cause these mouthparts to detereorate and become brittle, causing them to break or wear out. Without the use of said mouthparts, the scorpion is typically condemned to starvation.

 

[Brian S]

IMO a total waste of time

 

[hamfoto]

Pandinus is right...don't use them! Arachnids don't need supplemental calcium. The best thing is to feed your feeders a good balanced diet of organic leafy greens, fruits and sometimes a little organic dog food.

Chris

 

[Normski2020uk]

Prety much as i thought, cacoseraph is bang on and vitamin or mineral in high enough quantitys or toxic. i think i will stick to feeding my feeders well, thanks all

 

[Michiel]

To what scorpion BONES is the calcium usefull ?

Indeed a total waste of time, they tricked you in buying a useless item for your scorp....

 

[~Abyss~]

actually i know that a mullusk use calcium to build up stronger exockeletons. Im not sure if the same applies to arachnids but im guessing it might. Or then again im sure the natural calcium in crickets would do the same. But i always feed my feeders gutloader that already has calcium in it. Its never done any harm.

 

[Prymal]

Must go with Cacoseraph, Brian and John on this topic. As long as a good diet is provided, your scorps should be fine. Mine get everything from spiders and moths to mayflies and roaches and all have always done well.

Luc

 

[Michiel]

The exoskeleton of a scorpion or other arachnids DOES NOT have any calcium in it. They do not have a bone structure like for instance reptiles or mammals. To compare an arachnid with a bivalve like mollusks is therefore rather silly, also the presumption that it would need calcium......

 

[~Abyss~]

Oh i didnt make a presumption im I was just putting facts that i know with a possibility of why it might. It not just mollusk is many animals with exoskeletons, but im sure your right i know very little of the anatomy of a scorpion.

 

[JSN]

I dont use them, as they are not supplemented extra calcium and what not in the wild...

 

[final-sting]

How long lives scorpions on earth, 2 or 3 millions years?

Whiche one gives the scorpion the last 2million years calcium powder?

 

[Michiel]

Haha, LOL.

If I remember correctly the oldest fossils date back to 280 million years ago.....Prearcturus gigas and those kind of species.....

 

[Normski2020uk]

Yeh Scorps pre date Dinosours. We have a program in the UK called walking with Monsters. I belive the size of a scopr back then was close on 3 meters, and was a sea dweller, reducing in size of millions of years once it came on land. It was the preditor of its time.