What's going on?

[stupid_naso]

I just got home from the lfs, buying medicine, Melafix, for my fish who I thought has ick. This morning the ick was so bad, that he swims less than usual. I didn't do anything, I fed him garlic soaked in the morning. When I got home from the lfs, the ich is gone. He looked like he recovered. What is going on? Is he cured?
I still want to treat him with Melafix though. Any suggestions? And I will also keep feeding him garlic soaked food. I changed my mind about the hypo.
Thanks,
sebae_the_clown

 

[beth]

Ick has a 3 stage cycle, only one of which presents as the salt-like dots we are familiar with on the body of the fish. Eventually, the parasite will drop off of the fish, to begin its life cycle again. If you don't treat, then you will be seeing the ick on the fish again in the near future.

 

[stupid_naso]

Beth is it possible that some of the ich is killed by garlic and some of them are eaten by the cleaner shrimp?

 

[beth]

Ditto.

 

[stupid_naso]

anthem,
so basically ich is floating around in my tank, right? It's not on my fish anymore. How do I treat this then? Do I use nox-ich, melafix, or kick-ich? I bought melafix today.
What about nox-ich, does it work to kill the free swimming form? What about melafix? Or do I do large amount of water change?
Sincerely,
sebae_the_clown

 

[stupid_naso]

anthem, can I do freshwater dip? Many people, lfs, other websites, actually recommend it.