I have made 2 batches of of "plain" hypo fixer for my toning process that has gotten milky/cloudy after fixing approximately 50 8x10 prints. I am using some old Zone VI hypo (anhydrous I assume since it is 673 grams for making a gallon). To that hypo, I add 120 grams of sodium sulfite. It is hot in the south and my fixing bath was 77 degrees, if that has anything to do with it.
In my printing process, I use fixer 24 at 4 minutes, then wash and dry the prints for toning later. When I tone, I re-fix in the hypo-sodium sulfite solution, then selenium tone. I cannot understand why there is a slight milkiness after 50 8x10s (the life should be around 100), there shouldn't be in my opinion. Maybe the plastic bagged sodium thiosulfate age has something to do with it, but it has been kept in the refrigerator and it is dry and powdery when I mix it.
Just to see, I put 2 drops of hypo check solution into 2 ounces and no precipitate formed. I discarded the first batch that got milky (matter of fact, I have never before had fixer get cloudy on me), wondering what's going on here.
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