More drive to add to my post #17 above. You'd think there would be a universally accepted answer to the ich question by now, but there isn't. That's the main reason that I'm so convinced that all the anecdotal accounts don't invol;ve true ich. Some food for thought:
1.) It seems to be well accepted that hypo will cure an ich infestation. The low salinity creates an outward pressure and the free swimming ich explodes.
2.) It also seems to be accepted that hypo kills only the free swimming stage if ich. Thus; the long period (weeks) of time required for hypo to wipe out the parasite in all its stages.
3.) FW dips are just hypo taken to the extreme. no salinity. If dips kill ich that are on the fish (or any phase other than free swimming) as well as the free swimming ich, why doesn't hypo? If a dip kills ich embedded in the fish instantly, hypo certainly would too.
4.) Because the ich parasite is embedded; it is protected by its host fish from the osmotic effect. It is also protected by the white spot you can see on the fish. This is probably a secretion secreted by the parasite to protect itself or scar tissue from the ich embedding itself ---depending on the source. I think its a combination of both. This is the white spot, you cannot see the actual parasite because its too small and/or embedded in the fish.
5) Would ANYONE be willing to take an obviously ich infected fish home, give it a FW dip, then put it their DT. Not me.
