IceCap Spider Wood, Small (10in-15in)

1. Unbox your unique piece of Small Spider Wood. Use a clean, stiff-bristled brush to thoroughly scrub all exterior crevices under running tap water to remove any loose dust, grit, or organic transit debris. Warning: Never wash hardscape wood with bleach, household soaps, or chemical surface cleaners.
2. The Waterlogging Phase: Spider Wood is a lighter root wood with a highly porous internal structure packed with micro air pockets. If added directly to an aquarium dry, it will float.
3. To anchor the wood and eliminate buoyancy, submerge the entire piece inside a clean utility tub or container filled with fresh water. Weigh down the branches using clean stones or heavy slates, and let it soak for 7 to 14 days until it stays submerged on its own. Alternatively, boiling the wood in a large pot for 2 to 3 hours will break up air pockets and speed up this process.
4. Arrange the wood carefully in your tank. Push the heavier core knots firmly into your aquascaping soil or gravel substrate to secure its position before adding delicate plants.
5. If a harmless, translucent white biofilm slime develops on the wood surface during the first two weeks, don't worry. This is a completely normal reaction as beneficial micro-bacteria consume remaining natural sugars in the wood. It can be easily scraped away during water changes or left for shrimp, snails, and plecos to eat.

Pro Tips:

• Tie or Glue the Wood Core to a Heavy Base Stone for Instant Stability. Because a 10-to-15-inch piece of Spider Wood features sprawling branches, waiting for it to waterlog naturally can take time. If you want to use it in your layout right away, bond the heavy base knot to a heavy rock or piece of slate using gel-based super glue. Once buried beneath your sand or aqua-soil substrate, the weight of the stone will hold the branch network firmly in place from day one.
• Incorporate Mosses and Epiphytes onto the Upper Branches to Create a "Tree" Effect. Take advantage of the fine, multi-branched finger network of the IC-WSWS to craft a stunning bonsai-style aquascape tree. Use gel-based cyanoacrylate glue (aquarium-safe super glue) to attach small patches of Christmas Moss, weeping moss, or mini Anubias species directly onto the tips of the branches. Over a few months, the plants will anchor to the wood grain, growing into a lush, green canopy that looks like a miniature flooded forest tree.
• Combine Multiple Smaller Stones Around the Base to Mimic a Natural Mountain Root. To seamlessly blend your Spider Wood into an Iwagumi or sloped rock layout, avoid just sticking the base wood directly into open sand. Arrange a cluster of highly textured stones—such as Seiryu Stone or Red Jasper—around the central gnarled root knot. This creates a realistic look that mimics an ancient tree root growing over a rocky cliffside, hiding your attachment points and making your aquascape look balanced and professional.