Best Aquascaping Scissors

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Overall length has to be matched to tank depth, and getting that wrong is the usual reason a pair of scissors ends up unused in a drawer. These run from about 9.8 inches to 12 inches, and the working rule is that the tool should reach the substrate with your hand still clear of the water line, so a 12 inch pair suits a standard 18 inch deep tank while 9.8 inches is the right call for a nano or a shallow rimless cube where a long blade cannot be angled without striking the far glass. Blade geometry is the other genuine choice, and the names describe what each does. Straight blades are for stems, taking a clean square cut across a bunch you intend to replant. Curved blades follow the contour of a carpet, letting you trim across the top of a mat without dipping into the substrate and clouding the water column. Wave blades push that further with a shallow S profile that hugs a mound. If you are buying one pair for a planted tank, curved covers more jobs than straight. Stainless is standard, so the detail to check is whether the pivot is riveted or screwed, because a screw can be tightened once wear sets in. Rinse and dry after every session, since a wet pivot pits from inside and that kills these before the edges dull.