tim, BTW, while a refract is a very accurate means of testing salinity levels, a quality glass hydrometer is also a good method. Given the choice between dosing my tank with meds and using a glass hydrometer, I'd gone with the glass hydrometer and hypo. The success rate is pretty high up there.
I've seen people using the reef safe products, and have seen the results on their reefs down the road, not a pretty sight at all.
I've also tested my own glass hydrometer against my refract and have come up with the same results at varying levels of salinity in the test water, including the 1.009 target. That's not to say that hobbyists should just not think about getting a refract because the glass works the same, it is just saying that hypo is the best treatment, all around, for ich. Its not easy, but it is the best. In this hobby, we should always have on our “to get list” the best that we can get. If hobbyists are willing to pay a ransom for their lighting, then they should be also thinking about ensuring the quality of water—which includes stable and accurate salinity levels. Water quality is, after all, the most important thing to consider when setting up any kind of marine tank.
Bottom line is that its very easy to pour chemicals into our tanks and that tends to be what hobbyists hope for when faced with a disease crisis with their fish. This is not a viable solution to treating fish diseases. Even if you do cure the disease, the ramifications on the tank environment could potentially be disastrous.
Good luck.
