If these things worked, everyone would be using it--period. Who wants to pluck fish out of their reefs? To say you used it with success is really no evidence that it works. I had a tang with popeye that eventually got better in my display. I don't think the conclusion should be that leaving sick fish to its own devices is a cure for that disease. The correct conclusion is: THAT fish with THAT problem at THAT time got better, and you cannot say why--may have have zero to do with the reef safe ich med.
I've had fresh and saltwater fish get ich and get better with no more than garlic and selcon--but that certainly doesn't mean these things cures ich, OR that it works in every case--only that it raises immunity (possibly) which may, possibly, help the fish get better (for the moment) without the aid of medication.
Hyposalinity and proven non reef safe meds like copper are the only proven methods to "treat" ich--until it is proven other products that are reef safe treat it effectively, we need to be really careful that we are touting something that is essentially a placebo effect.
Might I also grumpily add--why is this even an issue in this forum of nano reefs? How hard is it to extract a fish to a 5 gallon improvised hospital tank? 5 gallon tank, heater, powerhead--that ain't so hard for a super basic hospital. In big tanks--yes, huge hassle--but to NOT extract a sick fish needing treatment in favor of some unproven placebo effect remedy is silly.
That said, I have to go take my echinasea that I take everyday to boost my immunity in cold/flu season (hahaha---not only is it proven echinasea taken this way does NOT work, it actually LOWERS immune functioning if taken on a regular basis---proven across numerous studies). Unlike coldeez with zinc, which has been proven to reduce the severity of colds. Science is a wonderful thing.
