By the way, 5 months is about all I get out of my nickel before it needs a brightener recharge.
If the brightener works, you should next check the pH. Additions of brightener will usually somewhat raise the pH. It should run between 3.5 and 4.5. It's not hard to adjust. Add about a teaspoon of hydrochloric acid at a time, run the aeration on your tank and check the pH again in about an hour. NEVER add more than a teaspoon of acid at a time. ALWAYS wait 1 hour with the aeration running before trying again.
I will tell you however that I have run my nickel as high as 6.0 with excellent results. But I have also seen some precipitation of the salts at this level....so I don't recommend doing it. Speaking of which, avoid removal of the precipitating salts. They may be boric acid, which is very important to achieving a smooth plate.
I have also found that some brands of distilled water will raise the pH of the nickel tank. It's hard to believe, but some distilled water can have pH levels in the 8+ range!
Caswell sells a nice pH meter for this purpose.
Ken
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