No pyro developer does not use the common hypos, instead it requires TF-4 or TF-5. Otherwise yes.
Not accurate: I (and many others) have been using PMK (and Pyrocat) with non-alkaline rapid fixers for years with good results. I use Ilford Hypam or Rapid Fix personally. Never a problem. True, the alkaline fixers, TF-4 and TF-5 have advantages, but that is mostly in the more rapid washing out in fiber-base prints.
@OP: Stop baths generally come in two "incarnations," acetic acid and citric acid. They both work just fine with any developer, but citric acid stops don't keep as well in working solution; they grow bacterial slime after prolonged storage. I use my citric-acid stop one-shot. Acetic-acid stops can be stored until exhausted (usually there's an indicator; when that starts to turn from yellow then the stop is exhausted).
(Opinion here: Use a stop bath. Not only does it prolong the life of your fixer, it stops development instantly and efficiently and neutralizes the alkalinity of the developer as well. This makes fixing more efficient. Yes, you can use plain water, but stop right with water you need running water or a couple of changes of water for one minute . A stop bath doesn't have to be running or changed, does the job better and only needs 30 seconds.)
Fixers are a bit more complicated. There are several families, but can all be used for film and paper, but with some caveats. I'll go through them.
First there are the "conventional," sodium-thiosulfate based fixers. These work the slowest. Most are acidic and the majority of formulas are hardening (acid hardening fixer is a common term). They usually come as packaged powders. There are two caveats here. First, some experts feel that these type of fixers don't work as well with modern tabular-grain films (e.g., T-Max and Delta). If such a fixer is used with tabular-grain films, the fixing times are rather long. A "rapid fix" is recommended for these films. Second, the hardener in the fixer (if you get a hardening version) is largely held to be unnecessary for most modern films. If you use a hardening fix, you'll have to wash longer. This is a particular issue with fiber-base papers; non-hardening fixers are the standard for processing fiber-base papers for just this reason.
The second "category" are "rapid fixers." These fixers are based on ammonium (instead of sodium) thiosulfate and fix both film and paper in a shorter time (hence the term "rapid"). They are usually supplied in liquid concentrate form. The "normal" variety of these is slightly acidic to neutral in pH. They can be used without caveats for all films and papers; just follow the directions.
The third and newest group of fixers (well not "really new, but new in popularity) are the alkaline fixers. TF-4 and TF-5 (mentioned above) are more-or-less alkaline fixers, with TF-5 being very close to neutral. These are also "rapid fixers" but have been formulated without the usual acid to allow them to wash out easier. This is desirable, especially with fiber-base papers. These fixers also work for all materials, just follow directions.
There are more details and reasons why one fixer might be preferred over another, but, with the exception of the tabular-grain film/conventional fixer caveat, all can be used with both films and papers. If you're just starting out, you might consider a rapid fix or TF-5 (if you can get it where you are). Both are excellent and can be used with all materials.
Best,
Doremus
Doremus
