...I suggest that you follow Happychem's advice... and pull the balls out, place them in a shallow bowl, delicately pull them apart as best you can.
Len
Priceless. Well, okay, $3, but you get my drift. They come in handy for planting everything, even in taller tanks. I've personally ordered two pairs of those tweezers from them (after losing a pair I got from someone...later to find it, naturally) and they came right on time with no hassle. And for about 6 bucks all told, not too shabby. They're about 15-20$ less than the ones a lot of places are selling "for aquariums."