Glad to see the fish is doing great. It seems this post died or something.

I have been very lucky in my time as an aquarist to have only fought the ick twice, or one long battle if you look at it like this thread has stated. I had an outbreak in my 10g tank that just wouldn't go away. I hadn't added any fish, rock, corals, anything in over 3 months and along came the first hot day of spring. The temp outside went up like 25 or 30 degrees and that one tank got ick. I don't know how or why it happened, but it did.

I lost a fish or two to secondary infections. I fed the garlic to all my tanks just in case.

Every time I even see a suspect spot, I break out the garlic extreme and feed away. I have a feeling that the garlic in the food seeps out of the fish's skin/scales with the water that is constantly balancing the salt in their bodies. The parasites don't like the garlic and don't burrow. Its like all you older folks who had to take sulphur tablets before going and seeing the grandparents on the farm. Garlic acts as a deterant to the wouldbe predators lurking in the water.