IceCap Driftwood, Small (12in-16in)

1. Unbox your IC-WDS centerpiece wood carefully. Give the piece a thorough visual inspection to choose your favorite display orientation and angles before prep work.
2. Place the piece into a clean utility tub or sink and scrub all surfaces down with a stiff-bristled brush using hot tap water to remove loose dust, soil, or transit grit. Warning: Never clean using household soaps or chemical detergents.
3. Submerge the wood completely in clean fresh water for several days to allow the dry fibers to fully saturate. Pro Tip: Because dry wood is buoyant, weigh it down with clean stones or heavy slate blocks until it stops floating and sinks naturally.
4. Change out the soaking water every 48 hours during the pre-soak stage to safely bleed off the initial heavy flush of dark organic tannins before the piece goes into your display tank.
5. Once fully waterlogged, carefully position the driftwood into your empty aquarium, checking that no edges lean directly against the glass panels where they could trap livestock or scratch the pane.
6. Anchor the base securely with your chosen substrate or heavy accent rocks, fill the tank with water slowly using a diffuser plate, and turn on your filtration system to clear out any residual wood particles.

Pro Tips:

• Secure the Wood Matrix with Heavy Rocks or Superglue During Setup. Because compact driftwood pieces hold air inside their dry core fibers, they can float easily at first. If you want to skip a long pre-soak, use cyanoacrylate-based superglue gel paired with a tissue or cotton anchor point to physically glue the bottom of the wood down to a heavy stone. Burying that stone foundation underneath your sand bed will keep your micro-aquascaping design completely safe and locked in place from day one.
• Do Not Panic Over the Initial White Bio-Film Outbreak—It is Harmless. Within the first two weeks of submerging fresh driftwood in a newly established aquarium, a thick, jelly-like white slime or fuzzy fungus layer will typically grow across the surface. Don't worry, this is completely normal! This occurs because harmless, natural airborne bacteria are consuming the leftover sugars and starches locked deep within the raw wood fibers. This slime layer is completely safe and makes an excellent snack for fish like Mollies, Otocinclus Catfish, and Neocaridina shrimp, who will pick the wood completely clean within a week.
• Keep an Active Stash of Chemical Filter Media on Hand to Control Tannins. All high-end natural woods contain organic compounds called tannins that will slowly bleed out into your aquarium water, tinting it a warm, tea-colored amber. While these tannins are fantastic for lowering your pH and boosting fish immune systems, you can easily control the tint if you prefer a crystal-clear look. Simply place a bag of high-performance activated carbon or Seachem Purigen directly inside a high-flow chamber of your filter loop to pull the coloration out of the water instantly.