I too prefer this method. It eliminated the outbreak I had permanently.If you haven't already got one, it might be a good time for you to get your hands on a quarantine tank. You might also buy yourself a refractometer.
If the fish get worse and it becomes evident they really do have white spot, I'd suggest you try the hyposalinity treatment mthod. There's a good article on this website or MASA. I got my pair of clowns through it. I did have a tiger blenny that died during the treatment though.
Since having performed the treatment I have not experienced a problem with white spot. This definitely makes me think that while white spot might be in everyone's tank, there must be more aggressive strains of white spot that can be introduced with new fish. I think this because the time I had white spot I had never had a problem with it prior and when it hit it hit so hard, but once I'd eliminated it, there was no problems.
Just a minor thing, but isn't freshwater ich caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a protozoan the same as Cryptocaryon irritans ? My understanding is that they are both ectoparasites i.e. they both live on the outside of the host.
- Unlike "ich" which is a freshwater disease, what we call marine ich is actually a parasite (Cryptocaryon irritans) ...
The only problems I see with hyposalinity treatment is that you have to catch and remove all your fish from the display tank and you have to set up an additional medical tank.
The benefits include;
1. Actually reducing the salinity in the medical tank and maintaing the water quality in that tank whilst treating the fish is an interesting learning experience in itself.
2. You display tank is left barren for several months so you know you have eliminated white spot in the display tank.
3. You are forced to keep a coral-only tank for a while; you get to view your corals living in the Display tank without any fish-related pressure. This is interesting in itself.
4. I think once you've eliminated the white spot you are starting with a clean slate.
Probably right about the freswhwater, I haven't really dabbled in fresh stuff for 20 years so a lot of thinking has changed.Just a minor thing, but isn't freshwater ich caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a protozoan the same as Cryptocaryon irritans ? My understanding is that they are both ectoparasites i.e. they both live on the outside of the host.