I read an excellent article on Ich in a magazine I picked up when I was on holiday in the US last year. I'll quickly type it up, I think you might find it useful. Might be worth the read. It's quite heavy on the sciency stuff, but It helped me get a better understanding of Ich.
Sick of Ich
By Mark Wickham Aquarium USA Magazine 2008
Nearly every aquarist has had to cope with a bout of ich (Pronounced "ick") in a home aquarium at one time or another. The disease is so common and so well known that beginning hobbyists often jump to a diagnosis of ich for every sick fish they see.
Yes, Ich is common. Fortunatly, it's also very easy to treat. In fact, if you notice an ich infection early, theres never a reson to lose a single fish to it. However, if the infection goes untreated, it may result in 100-percent mortality in a aquarium.
Ich is very easy to recognise. It appears as tiny white dots on the skin and fins of fish, giving its other common name: "White Spot Disease". Ich also infects the gills but hobbyists wont be able to see that without taking scrapings or cuttings of gill tissue. The white dots are about the same size as grains of salt.
Causes of Ich
A tiny, ciliated protozoan causes ich tiny, however, is relative. In reality, the ich protozoan is actually rather gigantic when it comes to protozoa in general. It grows to 1 milimeter in diameter and is the largest protozoan to infect fish.
The protozoans scientific name is "Ichthyophthirius Multifiliis". Ichthy means "Fish"; Phthir means "Lice"; Multi means many and Phili means "Thread" (or Filius/Filia means "sons or daughters"). So, the genus name indicates that the parasite infects fish like lice, and the species name refers to the number of tiny cilia on the parasite or to the many offspring it produces. The medical name for the disease is ichthyophthiriasis. Such a big word is not easy to say, so It's probably no surprise that hobbyists have shortened the disease names to the single syllable, Ich.
It's easy to prevent the introduction of ich into any aquarium by quarantining new arrivals. Ich parasites usually arrive on new fish or in shipping water. They can also transfer from fishing nets, so hobbyists should steralise nets or allow them to dry completely before using them between aquariums. A steralising soultion can be made by adding a cup of bleach to a gallon of water, a few minutes soak is sufficient, and doing this will also prevent the spread of other diseases.
We know that parasite is the cause of ich, but theres more to it. Stress makes fish more succeptable to disease such as Sudden temperature changes, Poor water quality, inadequate diet, bullying and so on all stress fish. Eliminating stressors, therefore reduce disease.
Symptoms
Visiual identification of ich is so easy that there is no need for microscopy to confirrm a diagnosis, though the parasite is readily identifiable under a microscope. Under microscopic viewing, it is quite large, and tiny cilia surround its circumference. It also has a characteristic horse-shoe-shaped nucleus.
In terms of fish behaviour, hobbyists should watch for fish that are flashing (making quick dashes against decorations to scratch or dislodge parasites). Also look for increased respiration among the fish. These both may be signs of ich even before the spots appear.
Life Cycle of Ich
The ich parasite has several phases in its life cycle. This is critical information because medications are only effective at certain stages in this cycle. In particular, they hae no effect at the stage when the parasite is visabke. Water temperature determines the rate of the life cycle. At typical aquarium temperatures of 75 to 78 degrees Farenheit, the life cycle is only about four days long, but at 50 degrees, it may take 40 days.
Feeding Stage. Hobbyists first notice ich during its feeding stage. At this point, the parasites are called trophonts or trophozoites. Trophos means "Feeder". It is, however, not the actual parasite that hobbyists observe on a fish but rather a buildup of protective body slime and epithelial growth that cover the parasite and cause a white bump. The protozoan buries itself into the skin or gill tissue and forms a pimplelike nodule. It then secretes chemicals that dissolve tissues for feeding.
In severe cases, the bumps begin to merge and form slimy patches that may look like a bacterial infection. Indeed secondary bacterial infections are common in such cases where the skin suffers damage. Fish so severely infected will have a slimmer chance of survival.
As noted medications do not kill the parasites at this stage of the life cycle. They are embedded to deeply and are surrounded by tissues from the fish.
Reproductive Stage. Upon reaching maturity, the trophonts burrow out of the skin and gills and drop off the fish. They will attach to any solid surface in the aquarium including substrate and decorations. At this point, the parasite forms a cyst called a tomont. This is the reproductive stage. The tomont divides into 600 to 1000 daughter cells called tomites. This only takes a day at typical aquarium temperatures. Tomonts are highly resistant to medications, but medications may kill the trophont before it forms the cyst.
Infection Stage This tomont splits open to release the free-swimming tomites. They're often called theronts at this point, from therio, meaning "to hunt". Hobbyists usually just call them swarmers. The swarmers seek a new host and must find one within two days or they will die. In this close confines of an aquarium, it's easy for a theront to find a host, and infections tend to become substantially worse with each generation. This free-swimming stage is the point at which ich medications are most effective. You must prolong treatments to include this stage in the life cycle to affect a cure.
Treatments
Treating ich is very easy. Pet stores carry a wide array of prorietary ich medications, and they all the same few ingredients. Basically, pay attention to the active ingredients when you shop for ich medications. Malachite green (also called Victoria Green) is very effective.
Always removed activated carbon from your filter during medicial treatments. It will absorb many medications from the water rendering them useless. Treatments with medications should be repeated daily until the white spots are gone and then for at least two more days. Remember that the medication only kills the free-swimming stages. You have too treat long enough to ensure those stage are exposed to medication. This usually results in three- to six-day treatment.
Some ich treatments contain copper, usually copper sulphate. Keep in mind that in soft water, copper treatments are not very effective. In hard water, they can be overly toxic and can also kill snails, crabs and some plants.
There you have some basic facts on the most common parasite of aquarium fish. I hope this information will be useful the next time you "spot" a case of ich. Happy Fishkeeping!
Apologies for any spelling mistakes!
if he was mine I would put him in a quarantine tank with no plants, clean water and the meds. It could be the wrong white spot stuff some is better than others, mine usually respond to the methylene blue stuff 
