diff --git a/virtualizarr/writers/icechunk.py b/virtualizarr/writers/icechunk.py
index 091835b..965a766 100644
--- a/virtualizarr/writers/icechunk.py
+++ b/virtualizarr/writers/icechunk.py
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ async def write_variable_to_icechunk(
         )
     else:
         # TODO is writing loadable_variables just normal xarray ds.to_zarr?
-        raise NotImplementedError()
+        # raise NotImplementedError()
+        print("skipping non-virtual variable", name)
 
 
 async def write_virtual_variable_to_icechunk(
@@ -117,13 +118,12 @@ async def write_virtual_variable_to_icechunk(
     zarray = ma.zarray
 
     # creates array if it doesn't already exist
-    codecs = zarray._v3_codec_pipeline()
     arr = group.require_array(
         name=name,
         shape=zarray.shape,
         chunk_shape=zarray.chunks,
         dtype=encode_dtype(zarray.dtype),
-        #codecs=codecs,
+        codecs=zarray._v3_codec_pipeline(),
         dimension_names=var.dims,
         fill_value=zarray.fill_value,
         # TODO fill_value?
diff --git a/virtualizarr/zarr.py b/virtualizarr/zarr.py
index f62b126..d047f91 100644
--- a/virtualizarr/zarr.py
+++ b/virtualizarr/zarr.py
@@ -74,8 +74,9 @@ def codec(self) -> Codec:
     @classmethod
     def from_kerchunk_refs(cls, decoded_arr_refs_zarray) -> "ZArray":
         # coerce type of fill_value as kerchunk can be inconsistent with this
+        dtype = np.dtype(decoded_arr_refs_zarray["dtype"])
         fill_value = decoded_arr_refs_zarray["fill_value"]
-        if fill_value is None or fill_value == "NaN" or fill_value == "nan":
+        if np.issubdtype(dtype, np.floating) and (fill_value is None or fill_value == "NaN" or fill_value == "nan"):
             fill_value = np.nan
 
         compressor = decoded_arr_refs_zarray["compressor"]
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ def from_kerchunk_refs(cls, decoded_arr_refs_zarray) -> "ZArray":
         return ZArray(
             chunks=tuple(decoded_arr_refs_zarray["chunks"]),
             compressor=compressor,
-            dtype=np.dtype(decoded_arr_refs_zarray["dtype"]),
+            dtype=dtype,
             fill_value=fill_value,
             filters=decoded_arr_refs_zarray["filters"],
             order=decoded_arr_refs_zarray["order"],
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ def replace(
             replacements["zarr_format"] = zarr_format
         return dataclasses.replace(self, **replacements)
 
-    def _v3_codec_pipeline(self) -> list:
+    def _v3_codec_pipeline(self) -> Any:
         """
         VirtualiZarr internally uses the `filters`, `compressor`, and `order` attributes
         from zarr v2, but to create conformant zarr v3 metadata those 3 must be turned into `codecs` objects.
@@ -153,44 +154,46 @@ def _v3_codec_pipeline(self) -> list:
             post_compressor: Iterable[BytesBytesCodec] #optional
         ```
         """
-        if self.filters:
-            filter_codecs_configs = [
-                numcodecs.get_codec(filter).get_config() for filter in self.filters
-            ]
-            filters = [
-                dict(name=codec.pop("id"), configuration=codec)
-                for codec in filter_codecs_configs
-            ]
-        else:
-            filters = []
-
-        # Noting here that zarr v3 has very few codecs specificed in the official spec,
-        # and that there are far more codecs in `numcodecs`. We take a gamble and assume
-        # that the codec names and configuration are simply mapped into zarrv3 "configurables".
-        if self.compressor:
-            compressor = [_num_codec_config_to_configurable(self.compressor)]
-        else:
-            compressor = []
+        try:
+            from zarr.core.metadata.v3 import parse_codecs
+        except ImportError:
+            raise ImportError(
+                "zarr v3 is required to generate v3 codec pipelines"
+            )
+        
+        codec_configs = []
 
         # https://zarr-specs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/v3/codecs/transpose/v1.0.html#transpose-codec-v1
         # Either "C" or "F", defining the layout of bytes within each chunk of the array.
         # "C" means row-major order, i.e., the last dimension varies fastest;
         # "F" means column-major order, i.e., the first dimension varies fastest.
-        if self.order == "C":
-            order = tuple(range(len(self.shape)))
-        elif self.order == "F":
+        # For now, we only need transpose if the order is not "C"
+        if self.order == "F":
             order = tuple(reversed(range(len(self.shape))))
+            transpose = dict(name="transpose", configuration=dict(order=order))
+            codec_configs.append(transpose)
 
-        transpose = dict(name="transpose", configuration=dict(order=order))
         # https://github.com/zarr-developers/zarr-python/pull/1944#issuecomment-2151994097
         # "If no ArrayBytesCodec is supplied, we can auto-add a BytesCodec"
         bytes = dict(
             name="bytes", configuration={}
         )  # TODO need to handle endianess configuration
+        codec_configs.append(bytes)
+
+        # Noting here that zarr v3 has very few codecs specificed in the official spec,
+        # and that there are far more codecs in `numcodecs`. We take a gamble and assume
+        # that the codec names and configuration are simply mapped into zarrv3 "configurables".
+        if self.filters:
+            codec_configs.extend([
+                _num_codec_config_to_configurable(filter) for filter in self.filters
+            ])
+
+        if self.compressor:
+            codec_configs.append(_num_codec_config_to_configurable(self.compressor))
+
+        # convert the pipeline repr into actual v3 codec objects
+        codec_pipeline = parse_codecs(codec_configs)
 
-        # The order here is significant!
-        # [ArrayArray] -> ArrayBytes -> [BytesBytes]
-        codec_pipeline = [transpose, bytes] + compressor + filters
         return codec_pipeline
 
 
@@ -213,4 +216,5 @@ def _num_codec_config_to_configurable(num_codec: dict) -> dict:
     Convert a numcodecs codec into a zarr v3 configurable.
     """
     num_codec_copy = num_codec.copy()
-    return {"name": num_codec_copy.pop("id"), "configuration": num_codec_copy}
+    name = "numcodecs." + num_codec_copy.pop("id")
+    return {"name": name, "configuration": num_codec_copy}