Fluker's Castle Crib

by **Tsuhei** Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:51 am

Fluker's Castle Crib
Size: Size: Small (8-1/2" x 5" x 2")

This nifty little item is what I use as a cool hide in my tank. The décor is basically a hide and a bowl combined. Although this is labled a “3-in-1” item on many sites, claiming that the top side of the hide is a basking area, I haven’t really found a way to make use of the third “feature.”

Fluker's Castle Crib Stsmcastlecribreptile

[I purchased this from my local Petsmart for about $10 (USD).]

It’s made of resin that has been designed and molded to resemble a big, gray rock. I really do appreciate what Fluker’s was trying to do with the naturalistic look, but there’s a few of spots on the top of the hide that seem to be a little sharp. Every time I clean this item, it tends to rip the paper towel I dry it off with if I find the little areas with the sharp points. However, the points that jut out and seem sharp are small and low in number, so it is not a major concern to your pet - just your paper towels. Other than that, the hide looks like it was a rock with many small, lumpy ledges that look as if they were made over time with trickling water.

The entrance of the hide is really wide. It’s good in a sense that your reptile won’t get stuck, but it seems to let in too much light. My leopard gecko tends to hug as tightly as possible against the bowl inside of the hide to avoid the light instead of spreading out and relaxing. The only way to make sure light doesn’t invade the hide too badly is to either cover it with fake leaf décor and face it away from any light source, which can be a real pain depending on where your tank is positioned in your room.

What bugs me about this item is that it seems spacious when looking at it from the top or in the store. However, if you look at the picture below, the bowl seems to take up much of the inside space. The interior dimensions are two inches smaller in length than the exterior dimensions, which is even less if you have a large leopard gecko or reptile since the inside of the hide has a slight slope toward the side with the bowl indentation. Realistically, the small hide is made for small pets. When my leopard gecko gets a little bigger within the next few months, I’m going to have to get an upgrade. Fluker’s does make a large size for the Castle Crib with exterior dimensions measuring approximately 10.5" x 5.5" x 2.5". Again, what I see as a problem with even the large hide is that the interior dimensions are approximately 8.0" x 3.5" x 2.0". Why pay for something that gives your reptile so little space? If you have just one leopard gecko in the tank, the large will probably suffice.

One of the best features of this item is the built-in bowl. The bowl is waterproof, so it can be filled with water or feeders if desired. However, I do not suggest putting feeders in this bowl because it has little steps that lead out of the bowl which will lead to many little feeders running around your tank. I personally like to keep this space empty because instead of using it for food or water, my leopard gecko has taken a shine to using it as a toilet. So for those leopard gecko keepers out there that have litter box trained geckos, pouring a little sand into the bowl will probably be the second-best option if using it as a water bowl doesn’t tickle your fancy.

Even though I had a few negative comments on this hide, this is my leopard gecko’s favorite hide in the entire tank. It’s relatively cozy and the ceiling of the hide is low to the ground, so it seems to give my gecko some level of comfort and security. If you want to have a hide with an upstairs latrine, this is the piece for your tank.

Overall score: 8 out of 10

By Tsuhei

by **gothicgurrrl** Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:09 am

awesome review!! Smile

by **kathstew** Sat Nov 05, 2011 12:59 am

Awesome! Thanks for this review!
I have been thinking about getting this for a while. Next time I see it in the stores I will definitely be getting it! Thanks!

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