Dumb question about Photo-Flo - Duhhhhh

pbromaghin · May 16, 2012

I have a dumb question.

I have been tossing my Photo-Flo after every use. Is this a waste? Sure the stuff is cheap, but it can't be all that contaminated after a full rinsing cycle, can it? If you do re-use it, how many rolls is it good for?

M.A.Longmore · May 16, 2012

.
I've always had that same thought.
But, I've never reused it, it's so inexpensive, I just let go of the Flo ...

Ron
.

tkamiya · May 16, 2012

I reuse it for the same session. I never process more than 3 rolls at a time though.

glstr1263 · May 16, 2012

I reuse it as well. I just keep the photo flo in a another tank and dip my film in it after a thorough washing.

Gerald C Koch · May 16, 2012

JEEZ, how much is it costing you to throw it away after use? You should be using only 4 to 5 drops for every 8 oz of water. It only takes one bit of crud to spoil a negative.

Richard S. (rich815) · May 16, 2012

The stuff can get so foamy and if spilled slippery on everything that I just dump it. So cheap.

Richard S. (rich815) · May 16, 2012

One thing I used to do but have not in a while is to hang the negs and then mist them heavily with a plastic spray bottle filled with Photo Flo. Talk about economical!

pbromaghin · May 16, 2012

Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it should be wasted.

Nicholas Lindan · May 16, 2012

I find something does grow in it if you keep it. I imagine enough gelatin washes off the film to feed some sort of cloudy slime.

Keeping it for a few days or weeks probably won't be a problem.

I use it 1-shot. I make up a pre-dilution with a quart of 71% isopropyl alcohol and 13ml of PhotoFlo 600 [or 40ml of PhotoFlo 200]. Dilute for use at 1 oz to 7 oz of distilled water.

PhotoFlo 200 dilutes at 1.25 ml/250ml [8 oz]. 1.25ml is 25 large 50ul drops - I am not sure it is more convenient than measuring 1.25ml, which isn't convenient at all. PhotoFlo 600 is a more reasonable 1 drop per oz.

pbromaghin · May 16, 2012

Nicholas Lindan said:
I find something does grow in it if you keep it. I imagine enough gelatin washes off the film to feed some sort of cloudy slime.

Keeping it for a few days or weeks probably won't be a problem.

Ok, now this makes sense.

Richard S. (rich815) · May 16, 2012

pbromaghin said:
Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it should be wasted.

Sure, of course. But I weigh it against bother and practicality. In theory if you're careful you can save, dry and reuse paper towels in many circumstances. Worth the bother vs the cost? Probably not.

dnjl · May 16, 2012

I reuse my Agepon (the Agfa equivalent), not because those few drops matter but because distilled water is expensive here. I do about 10 films per 1L batch.

Richard S. (rich815) · May 16, 2012

Nicholas Lindan said:
I find something does grow in it if you keep it. I imagine enough gelatin washes off the film to feed some sort of cloudy slime.

Thus my spray bottle technique! Uses hardly any, does not contaminate the photo flo.

M.A.Longmore · May 16, 2012

waltereegho said:
I reuse my Agepon (the Agfa equivalent), not because those few drops matter but because distilled water is expensive here. I do about 10 films per 1L batch.

.
Hi Walter,

Where, Is Here ?
{ Hopefully, I have my comma properly placed ... }
I stock up when I can get distilled water for $0.89 Per Gallon.

Ron
.

Roger Cole · May 16, 2012

Heck we buy distilled water whenever we want it for $0.79/gal. My wife uses it for changing out water in her aquariums and I in the darkroom so we buy more regularly.

lancekingphoto · May 16, 2012

This is off-topic, but I'd be cautious about using distilled water in an aquarium. If I recall correctly, distilled water has been greatly deprived of oxygen content. A whole tank full of it could result in suffocated fish...

Roger Cole · May 16, 2012

lancekingphoto said:
This is off-topic, but I'd be cautious about using distilled water in an aquarium. If I recall correctly, distilled water has been greatly deprived of oxygen content. A whole tank full of it could result in suffocated fish...

She doesn't do that. Swaps out a small amount of old water for clean distilled water - got that from other fish keepers online, and the fish sure seem happy and healthy.

DREW WILEY · May 16, 2012

What does PhotoFlo do to fish? Reminds me ... a rich lady around here didn't want her very expensive koi carp getting chilled in a rainstorm. So she hired a carpenter to make a big folding wood lid for the circular pond. Of course wood rots, so they treated it with Copper Green ... and
of course the next morning when they opened the lid all the goldfish were floating belly up. But
Photoflo would have helped them dry off evenly if she wanted to taxidemy them for posterity.

RalphLambrecht · May 16, 2012

i use all my chemicals one-shot for con sistency!

Roger Cole · May 16, 2012

DREW WILEY said:
What does PhotoFlo do to fish? Reminds me ... a rich lady around here didn't want her very expensive koi carp getting chilled in a rainstorm. So she hired a carpenter to make a big folding wood lid for the circular pond. Of course wood rots, so they treated it with Copper Green ... and
of course the next morning when they opened the lid all the goldfish were floating belly up. But
Photoflo would have helped them dry off evenly if she wanted to taxidemy them for posterity.

Photo Flo will kill them. To make this absolutely photo related, do NOT dump a wetting agent into a stream. Safe down the drain, not to fish. Any kind of soap strips their protective slime coating off and kills fish.

rjbuzzclick · May 16, 2012

I guess I also look at it as the final rinse too, so I don't keep it. I used to mix it with just tap water, but did have some things grow in it if kept too long. I've not had that problem since I started using distilled water to mix it.

MattKing · May 16, 2012

Nicholas Lindan said:
I find something does grow in it if you keep it. I imagine enough gelatin washes off the film to feed some sort of cloudy slime.

Keeping it for a few days or weeks probably won't be a problem.

I use it 1-shot. I make up a pre-dilution with a quart of 71% isopropyl alcohol and 13ml of PhotoFlo 600 [or 40ml of PhotoFlo 200]. Dilute for use at 1 oz to 7 oz of distilled water.

PhotoFlo 200 dilutes at 1.25 ml/250ml [8 oz]. 1.25ml is 25 large 50ul drops - I am not sure it is more convenient than measuring 1.25ml, which isn't convenient at all. PhotoFlo 600 is a more reasonable 1 drop per oz.

+1 - although I make up 1/2 liter of the pre-diluted "stock" instead.

I think I may have learned this from Nicholas - if so, thanks Nicholas

brofkand · May 16, 2012

I used to save it but had it grow mold one time. Now I just pour a very small amount into my tank after I'm done rinsing and re-filled with water. Let it soak in for about a minute then pour it out and hang up to dry.

I don't measure it or anything, just eyeball it. I've barely used any of the bottle that "expired" 2 years ago.

removed account4 · May 16, 2012

pbromaghin said:
Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it should be wasted.

wasting 4 or 5 drops ?

i have a bottle of photoflo that i keep thinking is empty
it was bought NEW in 1981 ... i am still using it.

4 or 5 drops for a tray of sheet film
or tank of roll film goes down the drain after being used.

there is no point at all in saving and re-using used photoflo ...

Gerald C Koch said:
JEEZ, how much is it costing you to throw it away after use? You should be using only 4 to 5 drops for every 8 oz of water. It only takes one bit of crud to spoil a negative.

right on gerald ! i'm with you!

john

Sirius Glass · May 16, 2012

I reuse it for a while and then I dump it. Over time it does collect byproducts from the film that settle at the bottom.

Dumb question about Photo-Flo - Duhhhhh

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M.A.Longmore

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Dumb question about Photo-Flo - Duhhhhh

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