Re: Useful Tools

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Useful Tools
From: HoeschB at mail_fws.gov
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 95 17:15:59 MST

     
>From: Hardjono.Harjadi at Eng_Sun.COM (Hardjono Harjadi) 
>Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 12:08:28 -0700
>Subject: Useful tools
     
>Do you have any favorite/useful tools to plant/cut your plants ?
     
>I find tweezers/forceps is one of the most useful tool for 
>planted tank. 

I agree with this enthusiastically.  Especially look for 12" 
"Specimin Forceps" from medical or biological supply companies.    
So you don't have to reach into the tank up to your armpit.  The 
ones with blunt, serrated tips work well.

Taking a pointer from Amano's book, I looked for the long scissors 
he has pictured.  The only ones I could find that are that length 
are surgical tools, and those cost upwards of $125 a pair.  By 
coincidence, my wife Mary, who is a nurse, found a medical sales 
rep who was willing to part with a used pair for $25.  This is a 
*really fine* tool (all you engineers would resonate with this) 
and you can snipsnip with great precision.  For example, you can 
trim the adventitious roots from Rotala or Hygrophila.  Again, the 
extra length makes a difference.  But alas, I don't know of an 
alternate source.

Bob Hoesch
National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory
Ashland, OR  
HoeschB at fws_gov