question about supplements

[labomb2]

I have been left to care for a couple Leos(and a tree frog) and I realize I don't really know as much about them as I would like to. I am use to my cresteds and chameleons which is routine for me now. anyways I read on the caresheet that calcium supplements can be left in a small dish and they will help themselves. so I tried that and I was amazed how they immediately licked the dish clean. so how much should I leave and how often? I started with a pinch and they cleaned that up. do they know when to stop? will they eat too much? it seems too easy a way to give them supplements, I wish I could do the same for the rest of my critters.

[DragnDrop]

I leave calcium in with the leos fulltime. They know better than I do just how much they need, so I let them decide. If they don't touch it for a week or two, I don't worry, if they clean the dish out in a day, I fill it up again. The 'dish' is a water bottle cap, about half full. Single leos won't take as much as breeding females, but they all do help themselves. I've been doing this since I first heard about it about 9 or so years ago. So far in the hundreds of leos I've kept that way, there's never been a problem with MBD from either too much or not enough calcium supplementation.

[labomb]

very good, then I will try doing the same , they gobbled it up so fast that they must need it. is there anything else they will eat up this way? how about vitamins, I have dusted the crickets once this week, is that often enough? will they eat fruit or veggies?

[Ixidor]

Nah, they won't touch the fruits or veggies, most prefer live crickets, although some people can get their lizards to feed on dead ones, once a week is perfect if you keep the dish in. The only other thing they will eat from a dish is mealworms

[LISA127]

I used to leave a dish of Minerall I in the cage at all times when I kept leo's. I never had any problems.