Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

Bill Beam wrote:

Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

You don't need special scissors, though you might want to stick with
stainless steel for the anti-rust thing.

There are specialty scissors sold for maintaining planted tanks.
Mostly they amount to very long but otherwise normal scissors. I'd
imagine you could find something similar at a large hobby store.

--
www.ericschreiber.com

Bill Beam wrote:

Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

You don't need special scissors, though you might want to stick with
stainless steel for the anti-rust thing.

There are specialty scissors sold for maintaining planted tanks.
Mostly they amount to very long but otherwise normal scissors. I'd
imagine you could find something similar at a large hobby store.

--
www.ericschreiber.com

I found good prices on stqainless steele scissors here. I bought two sizes.
http://www.medicalsuppliesplus.net/S...ges/page08.htm
Bob
"Bill Beam" wrote in message
...
Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

I found good prices on stqainless steele scissors here. I bought two sizes.
http://www.medicalsuppliesplus.net/S...ges/page08.htm
Bob
"Bill Beam" wrote in message
...
Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

Thumb nail is OK for stem plants...
Slowly peeling down at the ground makes it for others.

Philippe


"Bill Beam" wrote in message ...
| Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
| use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
| tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
| and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
| Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

Thumb nail is OK for stem plants...
Slowly peeling down at the ground makes it for others.

Philippe


"Bill Beam" wrote in message ...
| Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
| use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
| tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
| and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
| Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

Bill Beam wrote:

Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

The key attributes for plant shears a

* SHARP
* Stainless steel

I bought a cheap drugstore pair labelled Stainless Steel. It was not-it
rusted within in weeks. Now I use a pair from the office supply store-no
rust in more than a year. Cost was $3.99.

I also have a long pair. These are of limited utility. The longer they
get, the more likely they are to twist when you try to cut a tough stem.
But they are valuable if your tank is deep.

Bill Beam wrote:

Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

The key attributes for plant shears a

* SHARP
* Stainless steel

I bought a cheap drugstore pair labelled Stainless Steel. It was not-it
rusted within in weeks. Now I use a pair from the office supply store-no
rust in more than a year. Cost was $3.99.

I also have a long pair. These are of limited utility. The longer they
get, the more likely they are to twist when you try to cut a tough stem.
But they are valuable if your tank is deep.

"Bill Beam" wrote in message
...
Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

I was given one of the Aquascaping Kits from Aquarium Landscapes. Expensive
($34), but the tools are fantastic, especially the scissors. Find it here
http://www.fishvet.com/store/itemdet...09202001165813


Jamie
~

"Bill Beam" wrote in message
...
Need to know what to use to trim my plants. Wife doesn't want me to
use the good scissors cause she thinks the water will rust them. I
tell her I would dry them but no go. Do I need to go to a fish store
and buy a special pair or can I just use something I can get a
Wal-Mart or an Arts-and-Crafts store? Thx

I was given one of the Aquascaping Kits from Aquarium Landscapes. Expensive
($34), but the tools are fantastic, especially the scissors. Find it here
http://www.fishvet.com/store/itemdet...09202001165813


Jamie
~

I was given one of the Aquascaping Kits from Aquarium Landscapes. Expensive
($34), but the tools are fantastic, especially the scissors. Find it here
http://www.fishvet.com/store/itemdet...09202001165813



I have that kit, too, and I really like it. I use it all the time, almost
daily. The scissors are good quality, and don't rust or slip. The tweezers
are great for planting in tight spaces. The rake I don't use quite as often,
but it comes in handy when my clown loaches decide to go excavating. (I think
they were backhoes in their former lives.)







Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

I was given one of the Aquascaping Kits from Aquarium Landscapes. Expensive
($34), but the tools are fantastic, especially the scissors. Find it here
http://www.fishvet.com/store/itemdet...09202001165813



I have that kit, too, and I really like it. I use it all the time, almost
daily. The scissors are good quality, and don't rust or slip. The tweezers
are great for planting in tight spaces. The rake I don't use quite as often,
but it comes in handy when my clown loaches decide to go excavating. (I think
they were backhoes in their former lives.)







Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

I have the same kit too (was on sale on drsfostersmith.com). I love the
tweezers, but I have a mixed feeling with the scissors. it is nice and
long, and has a curved cutting end, but it doesn't have a "real" blade! The
cutting surface is essentially a flat near-perpendicular corner, so it
really doesn't "cut" well. It's possible that my expectations on any
cutting tools are high since I have lots of high-quality shears I use for
outdoor gardening, etc, which has a tapered blade which makes it easier to
cut.

because of lack of a tapered blade, when I try to cut the sword plant stems,
it won't cut the stem unless you cut it using near the base of the
scissors.. at which I end up grabbing the gravel in the tank with the tip
and making it even harder to cut sometimes (hence I end up leaving a long
stump at the base of the plant...). When I try to cut near the tip (or 1/2
way closer to the tip than the base) it ends up twisting/bending the scissor
and warp the thing (had to un-warp it few times already).

If no one else has that problem, I wonder if I have a defective scissors...?
for cutting thin stalks and stuff it's ok for the most part...

linda

"LeighMo" wrote in message
...
I was given one of the Aquascaping Kits from Aquarium Landscapes.
Expensive
($34), but the tools are fantastic, especially the scissors. Find it here
http://www.fishvet.com/store/itemdet...09202001165813



I have that kit, too, and I really like it. I use it all the time, almost
daily. The scissors are good quality, and don't rust or slip. The
tweezers
are great for planting in tight spaces. The rake I don't use quite as
often,
but it comes in handy when my clown loaches decide to go excavating. (I
think
they were backhoes in their former lives.)







Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

I have the same kit too (was on sale on drsfostersmith.com). I love the
tweezers, but I have a mixed feeling with the scissors. it is nice and
long, and has a curved cutting end, but it doesn't have a "real" blade! The
cutting surface is essentially a flat near-perpendicular corner, so it
really doesn't "cut" well. It's possible that my expectations on any
cutting tools are high since I have lots of high-quality shears I use for
outdoor gardening, etc, which has a tapered blade which makes it easier to
cut.

because of lack of a tapered blade, when I try to cut the sword plant stems,
it won't cut the stem unless you cut it using near the base of the
scissors.. at which I end up grabbing the gravel in the tank with the tip
and making it even harder to cut sometimes (hence I end up leaving a long
stump at the base of the plant...). When I try to cut near the tip (or 1/2
way closer to the tip than the base) it ends up twisting/bending the scissor
and warp the thing (had to un-warp it few times already).

If no one else has that problem, I wonder if I have a defective scissors...?
for cutting thin stalks and stuff it's ok for the most part...

linda

"LeighMo" wrote in message
...
I was given one of the Aquascaping Kits from Aquarium Landscapes.
Expensive
($34), but the tools are fantastic, especially the scissors. Find it here
http://www.fishvet.com/store/itemdet...09202001165813



I have that kit, too, and I really like it. I use it all the time, almost
daily. The scissors are good quality, and don't rust or slip. The
tweezers
are great for planting in tight spaces. The rake I don't use quite as
often,
but it comes in handy when my clown loaches decide to go excavating. (I
think
they were backhoes in their former lives.)







Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/