# Calcium Carbonate



## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

What's the difference between human grade Calcium Carbonate such as:








Description said:


> The powdered form is 100% pure, and free of fillers and preservatives, much lower in cost, easy to digest and can be taken in desired potencies. Powdered vitamins and minerals are truly the best way to take supplements.
> 
> -Supports Bone Health
> -100% Pure Powder
> ...





Ingredients said:


> Calcium (from Calcium Carbonate)
> 
> Serving Size: 1 Level Teaspoon (3.0 g)
> Servings Per Container: 113
> ...



AND

the recommended:







Description said:


> Repti Calcium is an ultra fine Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Supplement. It is a phosphorus-free calcium supplement for reptiles and amphibians. It has a unique shape/high surface area per gram resulting in increased calcium bioavailability



Could I not buy the larger, cheaper human grade calcium carbonate? What are the differences?


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

calcium carbonate is chalk....nothing more than dead little critters used on stomach achs.. its in tums and other antacids also.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

Then what's in the Zoo Med stuff? 

It's precipitated Calcium Carbonate. So, that's chalk too?


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

its just more powdered down.but its not literaly chalk.there are different addatives to different things.the zoo med stuff for the lizards has additives for taking in calcium.the geraric stuff at the top is for humans and prolly wouldent be good for lizards..


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

The difference is probably that the reptile powder is a finer grain. Precipitated means they dissolved it in water first then forced the CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) to fall out of suspension. The human CaCO3 is probably just ground up zooplankton like diatoms.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

The difference is probably that the reptile powder is a finer grain. Precipitated means they dissolved it in water first then forced the CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) to fall out of suspension. The human CaCO3 is probably just ground up zooplankton like diatoms.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

Is there any reason why I COULDN'T use this for a tegu?


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

I don`t think it would harm your tegu .. If that was all you had you would be smart to use it .. There is a chance that it would not be effective and you could have problems down the road because of it ... The price of reptile calcium is well worth the investment ... Don`t Mcgiver things you don't have too ..


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2011)

No one's really explained why it's not possible. If it's finely powdered TRUE Calcium Carbonate, why can't it be used? 

MY INFORMATION IS CONFLICTED.

Also... Playing Devil's Advocate here... If you're feeding high calcium foods, would you really NEED to supplement calcium? What are tegus eating in the wild that allow them to live and thrive without the magical powder we NEED to offer them? 

How do wild tegus live without calcium powder?


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2011)

haha nones given you an answer because they prolly dont know.im guessing you can use it the only concern i have it that it will cause compaction.and there is a forum or two that talk about chicken necks and things like that.anything with bones in it will aid in calcium intake.and in the wild they have 25 hour access to uvb and well everything kind of light they can get from the sun.the main reason people on the site feed teh calcium supplement is because they feed food without the bones.so they need something to get that lost calcium in there diet.....huff...hufff.......hope this helps/=]


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2011)

I'm glad you brought up the raw chicken bones. I know they're (among any other edible animal bone) a wonderful source of calcium for ferrets, dogs and cats so I'd imagine they were a good source for tegus as well. 

I also know that spaghetti squash, collards, endive, escarole, dandelion, papaya, phoenix worms, seaweed/kelp, figs and any small edible raw meaty animal bones are all great sources of calcium. For a tegu who readily eats anything, I'd have to wonder how much calcium you'd REALLY need to supplement if you fed these items (along with meats) on a daily basis.


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2011)

The finer grains of the reptile calcium powder make it easier and faster to digest. That may or may not be an issue with tegus but it could be. 
Also, with tortoises, keepers are concerned about the Ca ratio. Some of the foods you mentioned have high Phosphorous which makes the Calcium less effective in tortoises. I wonder if the same could be true for tegus?


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2011)

Haha, there's so much nutritional information that I've learned from different animal communities that all conflict eachother. From cats, to dogs, to ferrets, tegus, skinks, snakes, hedgehogs... it's all different and most of the time the information contradicts itself or the other information.


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2011)

I think the amount of calcium fed to Tegus is more than the animal would need if it was given available SUN LIGHT . It is the animals ability to absorb the mineral .. Too much goes right out the old pooper .. Giving mega doses with mediocre lighting is what works in captivity .. If I am going to have calcium problems it will be from too much calcium and not to little .. My wife sells health food and carries the brand of calcium in your picture .. It is a good company .. There are arguments as to what Reptile calcium is good and what is not worth a dam . For that same reason [whatever the facts ] I would be hesitant to use that that comes in pill form for people .. Unless it was all you can find then it would be great .. I researched the different brands and REP-Cal is what I settled on with out D3 ... You may very well get by with your moms bone medicine There are prescription kinds [Bone evea sp] that may well be the cure for calcium deficiency in reptiles.. The thing is no one is doing a study on it ..


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2011)

I posted this question on a chemistry forum and I am hoping to get some scientific answers. 

I'll post them here when I do.


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## slideaboot (Jan 13, 2011)

Little Wise Owl said:


> I posted this question on a chemistry forum and I am hoping to get some scientific answers.
> 
> I'll post them here when I do.




That was going to be my suggestion. You might consider consulting a herpetologist with experience with these supplements. There are some incredibly bright, reptile-centric, minds out there that DEFINITELY know the answer to your question.

If only I was one of those people...


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2011)

I just recently found out that my exotic animal science professor is a herpetologist and the curator of a really popular reptile zoo in Ontario.

I'll shoot him this question when I get a chance.


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