Floaters in Xtol

[presspass]

I just checked three 1ltr. bottles of Xtol and all had something floating in them - looks a bit like jellyfish. The bottles are glass, sealed full, mixed in late March using distilled water. Can I filter this stuff out and use the developer or should i just toss it? I've been using Xtol since it came out and have never had this happen before. Suggestions?

 

[Jeff L]

There are those here that have more experience than me, but.... I had the same thing in Xtol. I re-stirred it and the "floaters" dissolved.
The Xtol worked fine for me with no noticeable effect. Just my experience.

 

[clayne]

This happens with selenium toner all the time and I've never seen a reduction in toning. Granted it isn't a straight developer but its a similar concept. I think even if whatever organic substance got into the development tank itself it wouldn't do anything negative. You're basically dealing with metallic salts throughout the entire process, not biology.

 

[mnemosyne]

I just checked three 1ltr. bottles of Xtol and all had something floating in them - looks a bit like jellyfish. The bottles are glass, sealed full, mixed in late March using distilled water. Can I filter this stuff out and use the developer or should i just toss it? I've been using Xtol since it came out and have never had this happen before. Suggestions?

I once had some kind of white stuff floating in my Xtol at a time when I was still storing it in brown glass bottles and I found out that the developer wasn't working properly anymore. I have no proof that this failure was related to the white stuff, the batch was a couple of months (3-4?) old at that time, it might have been coincidence, still ... After that I started using 5 liter wine bladders to store Xtol and haven't had a single problem since. Xtol holds up to 8 months that way and maybe even longer, I just never tested it. The wine bladder is very practical and the best thing is, you will never again have to worry about any precipitate, because even if was there you would never see it!
Well ... I suggest you don't take any risks and run a test roll with the developer to see if it's still good.

 

[ath]

I have that all the time (since 10 years) and have never noticed a negative effect. A bottle of Adox A49 had it as well.

 

[Nuff]

I have the floaters in my replenished xtol. They are dark coloured by now, from the dyes in the film. They have been a none issue. They usually settle near the bottom as well. My negs look great. From what I've around the Internet, most people don't have an issue with them.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

They're not an issue in any way related to developer activity. Handle your XTOL this way

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)​

and enjoy an extremely good value, highly versatile developer.

 

[presspass]

Thanks to all. I filtered it - too much caution, perhaps - and used it 1:3 for two rolls of Arista 400 tonight. Everything came out fine, as you said. Again, thanks.