NEKTON-Rep-Calcium+D3

Highly effective calcium supplement enriched with vitamin D3 for all reptiles.

An adequate calcium supply is necessary for the development and maintenance of the skeleton in all reptiles and amphibians. With NEKTON-Rep-Calcium+D3, this is excellently ensured with regular feeding and can be used both preventively and for treating existing deficiencies.

NEKTON-Rep-Calcium+D3 is enriched with vitamin D3 and two amino acids. It supports the optimal development and maintenance of the skeleton and promotes a healthy calcium metabolism in all reptiles. It helps prevent and compensate for calcium deficiency and its related diseases. NEKTON-Rep-Calcium+D3 can be easily mixed with crushed food.

For insect-eating reptiles and amphibians, feeder insects are dusted with NEKTON-Rep-Calcium+D3.

Amphibians and reptiles are vertebrates, like their aquatic ancestors. From the abundance of orders, families, genera, and species of prehistoric times, only a small remnant remains, but with approximately 9,000 species, they still offer a variety of shapes, colors, and characteristics. Our present-day reptiles and amphibians are found on all continents and inhabit various environments. Amphibians have not yet fully detached from the habitat of their ancestors. Since their skin does not provide sufficient protection against evaporation, they mostly still need to live in water itself or near moist land areas to avoid drying out.

Even though some reptiles are aquatic, their offspring develop without this intermediate stage, and miniature versions of the parent animals hatch from the eggs. In most reptiles, the embryo fully develops within the egg and hatches just before, during, or shortly after birth. Since the freshly hatched or newborn young are lung-breathers and also have a firm body covering that is hardly suitable for skin breathing, the laying of eggs or the birth of the young must take place on land.

The requirements that must be met to properly keep amphibians and reptiles and ensure their species preservation are diverse. To set up the terrarium accordingly, one must first learn as much as possible about the natural habitat of their animals. Even if it is not always possible to completely replicate this natural habitat, the animal can still be well-kept in the terrarium, often in good health and ready for reproduction. The most fundamental conditions for this are: light, temperature, air, space, and food.

The dietary requirements of our terrarium animals are very different. Amphibians are largely carnivorous. Reptiles are, depending on the species, carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores. Whatever the diet may be, the essential components of the food are: carbohydrates (e.g., starch, sugars, crude fiber), fats, proteins, minerals (macro and trace elements), vitamins, and water.

Carbohydrates are energy suppliers. A complete lack of carbohydrates can harm the intestinal flora and lead to a disruption of vitamin synthesis. Fats also act as concentrated calorie carriers, providing the necessary metabolic energy for the animal's body. An important function of fats in metabolism is their ability to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and provitamins. Among the fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids are especially important, as they ensure the proper formation of skin and scales and regulate the body's overall water balance.

The proteins in the diet consist of various amino acids that cannot be replaced by other substances. The individual amino acids from the food are utilized in different ways by different animals to build their own proteins.

Among the minerals, the following so-called macro elements are important: sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. Additionally, trace elements such as copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, iodine, and iron are of crucial importance for water balance as well as protein metabolism. Salts such as chlorides and phosphates must also be present. A balanced composition of calcium and phosphates is particularly important for bone formation and maintaining stability. The organism requires vitamins to support essential life processes. Vitamins act like catalysts, meaning they influence metabolism without providing energy or serving as building material for the construction of body cells.

A healthy body can only produce some of them, and not always in sufficient quantities. If they are not sufficiently available, deficiency symptoms occur.

In amphibians and reptiles, several vitamin deficiency diseases are known. For example, too little vitamin A can lead to eye inflammation or eye damage. Bone damage in amphibians and bone softening in reptiles result from a lack of vitamin D. A deficiency in B-complex vitamins is significantly responsible for digestive disorders, paralysis, and skin damage. To prevent such deficiency symptoms and to always be able to offer the animal optimal nutrition, NEKTON has developed a range of products that enable targeted supply of various essential nutrients and active ingredients.