THEDLO: Thanks for starting this thread. You make the very same arguements I've been making for some months now. However, I don't know how to vote in your poll.
Here is my Purple Tang:
This pic was taken over two years ago. There were about nine or ten other fish in the tank with him. He was never qt'd. No other fish came down with ich. I have upgraded tanks twice since this pic. I have a total of 17 fish now, have never qt'd a single one and I have not had a single spot appear since he cleared up. And he is still alive and well today. I do believe my tank is ich free.
I know there are many self-proclaimed ich "experts" on this site- some have little to no actual experience with it, yet tell everyone that, at the sight of a single white spot, they MUST remove all fish and leave the tank fallow for 6, 8 or 10 weeks. While other "experts" have killed more fish with their qt and "treatment" than if they had left them alone to fight it off.
Good discussion. I hope others will chime in and make some thoughtful, rational arguements and be able to back it up with actual experiences rather than white papers and "studies" that may or may not have any real relevence to an actual tank in someones living room.
So, anyway, back to your poll......How do I vote? I had ich with fish in my tank, but I don't any longer. So, do I vote yes or no?