Probably not luck. Every time luck has had a chance it has stabbed me in the back.
I think it is flow. How well do you think parasites can swim? I have no idea. I always run high flow because I think it keeps all the bad looking goo and mats people complain about all the time under control. I don't turn it down at night either.
That new tank brown stuff. I ended it by putting a PP-15 in a 56 gallon tank running full blast for a few days. Broke it right up.
Many people here have all kinds of pumps in their tank but the programs they run produce way under rated flow. 2 gyre pumps on a controller in alternating gyre mode at 40% isn't much flow. They worry the sand will blow around. I use the 3-5mm stuff mixed with crushed coral. It doesn't blow around.
I have cyano. I am at the point where I can make it come and go by adjusting my light 5% and my flow 10%. Subtle changes that make a difference in hours. I am finding there are some fine lines that make or break how your tank is doing. I didn't know that before. I do now.
Perhaps it doesn't matter how many parasites are in your tank if only 2 or 3 can make it to a fish at any one time because of the current. Also the ones that do come out get swept to the things that eat them like the gorgonians.
You stress the tank doing maintenance or something. The pumps are off and the fish hide in the rocks and crevices. The next day you have ich.
This happened to me recently when the power was out. No flow for 10 hours. A few of my fish had spots the next day, especially the blue tang. I did nothing and they went away over the next 3 days.
In the sea the pumps are never off. Swim or die.
Early morning thoughts.
@norfolkgarden liked one of my posts and made it pop up. I had been thinking on this for a few days. Sorry my brain is like lead some days.
I do pretty much the opposite of most things stated on here. I don't wait and push my tanks as hard as possible to get them where I want to go. I use additives like Vibrant and Nopox when needed and them stop them. I do water changes. Frequent big ones sometimes like 50-90% every 2 or 3 days if I think I need to. I don't do regular testing once a tank is going.
I broke my tank down yesterday, drained the water and moved it to make room for the new one. Today it looks the same. No damage done.
I find fish to be tough hardy animals if given clean water and fed well.