Arrowhead Reptile Rescue

Comparison Chart of Vitamin/Mineral Supplements

Here is the comparison chart of nutritional analysis of common reptile supplements showing data for 1 gram of supplement.

We also provided a download to the raw data before conversions for those who would like to see the label information as is from the manufacturer.

Product	Sticky Tongue Farms Miner-All Indoor	Sticky Tongue Farms Miner-All Outdoor	Tetrafauna ReptoCal	T-Rex 2:1 with vitamins	Flukers Repta-Vitamin with Beta Carotene	Juassipet Jurassivite	Exo-Terra Calcium (no D3)	Exo-Terra Multivitamin	Zoo Med Reptivite (no D3)	Zoo Med Reptivite (WITH D3)	Wardley Reptile Calcium Phos-Free	Nekton-Rep
Moisture (%)			5				12	12	2.5	2.5		<5
Protein, crude (%)								14
Fat, crude (%)								1.2
Fiber, crude (%)								8
Ash (%)								9
PER GRAM
Beta Carotene (mg)					1.102			0.011
Beta Carotene (IU)						165.4
Vitamin A (IU)			219	47.63	110				220.3	220.3	243	6666
Vitamin E (IU)			0.73		0.221	1.654		0.1	2.2	2.2
Vitamin C (mg)				5.181	2.205	4.741
Ascorbic Acid (mg)									3.1	3.1	2.646	16.67
Vitamin D3 (IU)	0.004		13.7	4.762	22			22	0	22.91	221	10
Folic Acid (mg)			0.037		0.033				0.107	0.107		0.17
Thiamin (B1) (mg)			0.25		0.882				0.185	0.185	0.006	0.67
Riboflavin (B2) (mg)			0.29		0.551	0.132			0.275	0.275		1.67
Niacin (mg)			3.66		3.307				0.67	0.67
Pyridoxine (B6) (mg)					0.452	0.154			0.067	0.067
Vitamin B6 (mg)			0.145									0.67
Vitamin B12 (mcg)			.0006		3.858				0.007	0.007		3.3
Folate (mg)						0.032
Biotin (mg)			0.002		.0004	0.002		.000004	0.027	0.027
Pantothenic Acid (mg)			0.73		0.33				1.9	1.9	0.199	3.3
Vitamin K (mg)					0.004				0.045	0.045
Rutin (mg)					0.017
P-Aminobenzoic Acid (mg)			0.037		1.102
Bioflavanoids (mcg)					55			.000009
Hesperidin (mcg)					55
Menadione (mg)			0.017								0.3	1.36
Calcium (%)	34-36	34-36	27-35	27-32.4	19.8		35-37	4.4-4.6	24.9-28	24.9-28	34-37
Phosphorous (%)			6	16.5	9.9
Calcium (mg), actual					198	12.79
Calcium (mg), min	340	340	270	270			350	44	249	249	340
Calcium (mg), max	360	360	350	324			370	46	280	280	370
Phosphorous (mg)			60	165	99				105.7	105.7
Iodine (mg)	0.036	0.036			0.04	0.012		8E-04	0.002	0.002
Iron (mg)	0.136	0.136			3.858	1.433	0.24	0.077	0.45	0.45
Magnesium (mg)	0.454	0.454			0.099	0.008	0.3	0.002	2.67	2.67
Copper (mg)	0.113	0.113			0.165	0.154	0.002	0.003	0.225	0.225
Zinc (mg)	0.544	0.544			0.331	1.212		0.007	0.45	0.45
Manganese (mg)	0.454	0.454			0.331	0.199	0.005	65	1	1
Potassium (mg)			0.3		1.654	3.087	0.4	0.033	17.62	17.62
Sulfur (mg)					1.102		0.4	0.11
Sodium (mg)			0.3
Salt (%)							.06-.07%		4.2-4.9	4.2-4.9
Salt (mg), actual					1.323			0.3
Salt (mg), min							0.6		42	42
Salt (mg), max							0.7		49	49
Chloride (mg)			2			2.867
Choline (mg)			9.32		4.41	0.551		0.18	1.87	1.87
Inositol (mg)			4.5		2.535	0.551		0.005
Chromium (mcg)						1.985
Molybdenum (mcg)						1.985		0.011
Selenium (mcg)	0.011	0.011				1.544
Nickel (mcg)						0.397
Tin (mcg)						0.783
Silicon (mg)						0.154
Vanadium (mg)						0.783
Boron (mg)						0.012
Cobalt (mg)	0.004	0.004
alphatocopherol acetate (mg)												6.6
Alanine (g)					0.006				0.002	0.002
Arginine (g)					0.006				0.004	0.004
Aspartic Acid (g)					0.01				0.001	0.001
Cystine (g)					0.003				0.001	0.001
Glutamine									0.002	0.002
Glutamic Acid (g)					0.013				0.002	0.002
Glycine (g)					0.004				0.001	0.001
Histidine (g)					0.002				0.001	0.001
Isoleucine (g)					0.005				0.003	0.003
Leucine (g)					0.009				0.004	0.004
Lysine (g)					0.006				0.004	0.004
Methionine (g)					0.004				0.001	0.001
Phenylalanine (g)					0.006				0.002	0.002
Proline (g)					0.004
Serine (g)					0.007				0.001	0.001
Threonin (g)					0.005				0.002	0.002
Tryptothan (g)					0.002
Tyrosine (g)					0.004				0.002	0.002
Valine (g)					0.007				0.003	0.003
Fluorine (mg)									0.1	0.1
Niacinamide (mg)												10
ⱡ PER UNIT WEIGHT UNKNOWN, per kilogram assumed for comparison conversion
± CONVERTED FROM GIVEN UNITS TO UNITS PER GRAM for comparison

Download these Reptile Supplement Comparison Charts here:

Chart of Nutritional Supplements (Excel .xls)

Chart of Nutritional Supplements (Adobe .pdf)

Comparison Chart of Nutritional Supplements RAW DATA (Excel .xls)

Comparison Chart of Nutritional Supplements RAW DATA (Adobe .pdf)

So how did we pick the supplements to include?

Simple. Over 20 years these are the products reptile owners have handed over to us that they used for their reptile pets, or ones that we hear recommended the most. Also, these are the ones we could readily find data and information for. Several products were to be included but were removed from the chart because we could not find any information at all on the product label or the manufacturer's website, such as the Four Paws products we looked at. On numerous bottles of Fluker's products, ESU reptile supplements, and Bone Aid there was very little information on labels but we used what was provided. For many products, like Jurassical, we had to go to the manufacturer's website to find a little information.

How did we get all these numbers on the same unit scale and down to one gram?

THE MATH:

(Caution: this will make your head hurt).

Assuming the data and analysis given by the manufacturers is accurate, and all product containers will have the same amount of ingrediants and nutritional analysis and it is uniform throughout the container, here is how we compiled our comparison chart:

We listed the percentages given by most manufacturers, but also converted them to grams per kilogram for ease of comparison. We multiplied the given percentage by 10 using the formula 1% = 10g/kg to convert the percentage to grams per kilogram. We then multiplied by 1000 to further reduce the weights to milligrams using 1000 mg = 1 g.

Manufacturers that provided units per pound, we converted to units per kilogram by multiplying the given figures by 2.205 using the formula 1kg = 2.205 lb.

Other confusing units given on many products was ppm, which is equivilant to and we converted as 1mg/kg. We also saw both g and gm being used for gram. µg and mcg were used on different labels and products, and even sometimes on the same label for different ingrediants, even though they mean the same thing- µg and mcg are both micrograms.

Finally there is the allusive IU, or international unit, which cannot be converted to other units as IU is a vitamin or mineral specific measurement. We used the provided IU per kg provided, or converted IU per lb to IU per kg by multiplying the given value by 2.205.

After all the above conversions were made, we then further reduced the entire chart from units per kilogram to units per gram by dividing all by 1000, or 1000g = 1kg. After all, who is giving their reptile a pound or kilogram of supplement? You really want to know what you are dishing out per serving. We used one gram as that seemed to be a common recommendation on labels and instructions to give per feeding. Pictured here is exactly one gram of a reptile vitamin-mineral supplement (we tared the quarter) to give you an idea the amount we are using in this chart as a nutritional analysis. For many products this would be too much to give your small pet reptile at one time but gives you a much more realistic idea of what you are giving your pet. We also provided a per-tablet analysis of a commmon human multivitamin for comparison to the reptile products being sold.