Xtol cloudiness in Deep Tank?

[Gene McCluney]

I mixed up a 3.5 gallon tank of Xtol, which I use straight for processing sheet film. Actually a wee bit more than 3.5 gallons as I used 3-5 litre mixes.

Anyway, after about 14 sheets of 8x10 (various type of b/w film) the solution is looking cloudy. The developing action is just fine, and I have only had the developer mixed up for about 5 days, and I use a floating lid and a cover for the tank.

Is the cloudiness anything to be concerned about? My other common developers: D-76 and HC-110 do not get cloudy in tank use.

I intend to replenish this and keep it in the tank for some time.

[Armin Seeholzer]

I used XTOL also fresh and replenished I used the same soup for more then a year and only putted 1 or 2 liters fresh into the old one after taking 1 or 2 liters out of it.
Did not have floating lid only a top hat.
Did you do prewash bevor developing. If not this could be the reason for the clouds, because I do not remember to get clouds, but I always prewash to hold the green soup outside of the developer and to get more even development.

Cheers Armin

[Dennis]

I use XTOL in a 10 liter tank, actually a clear plastic tube. I use it to Kodak's recommended limit with Kodak's recommended time extensions. So I go through the equivalent of 150 rolls of film before remixing. In the clear tube I can see it does take on a greyish cloudiness when I stir it up, but it settles back down to a clear liquid to the very end. I have never noticed any problem with anything on the film as far as grunge or bits of stuff or anything. I do notice that not all films follow the schedule of time extension the same. Especially FP4 and ACROS need more time extension as the developer gets old.
Dennis