Help w/ my hypo...its not working

[grateful1]

I've quaretined all my inverts into a 37 gal tank...
all my fish are in my main tank and i have lowered my salinity to 1.009 and have had it reaffirmed by a refractometer. The salinity has been at this level for about 3 days now (i had lowered my salinity a week b4 to what i thought was the correct level and later learned that my floating hydrometer in not very accurate)
This ich is ravenous...While it (the salinity) has reduced the overall population of ich, it has yet to show a clearence of that damn parasite.
ph 8.2
ammo 0
trite 0
trate 5
sg 1.009
my lemon peel has turned mostly white in the mornings and a light yellow durring the day. My coral beauty is hiding constantly. The purp. pseudo is hidding too.
the ich is mostly on the coral beauty, lemon peel, purp pseudo, and a few specs on the domino's.
Everyone is eating regularly. they all are eating their regular diets.
so...im running out of ideas and i see that Beth and Terry B. are VERY knowledgable about these things and i was hoping that you could help...
thanks!!

 

[beth]

It takes 3 full wks to erradicate ich. Also, neither copper nor hypo are effective in killing ich until after the parasite falls off of the fish. Be patient, it will work. Continue using the refract to ensure that you maintain the 1.009 specific gravity.

 

[grateful1]

From what i've read....its 3 weeks from that time that you last saw a cist on a fish....is that right??

 

[beth]

Correct.

 

[fishfood]

How about on fish that you don't see any ich on? I hypo all new fish in the qt just to be safe. If there is no signs of ich on the body is lowering the salinity for 3 weeks required? I'm in the process of doing it to my new bicolor blenny.

 

[grateful1]

:update:
Today 10/24/02:
blue/green chromis = no ick (clean from ick about a week now)
2 domino damsels = no ick (about 1 day clean of ick)
purple pseudo = about 3 specks of ick (big difference from b4)
Perc Clown = no ick (clean for about 3 weeks now)
coral beauty = about 3 specks of ick (big difference from 3 days ago)
Lemon Peel = about 5-6 spots of ick (they are hard to see and his condition [ick wise] has improved)
the lemon peel had some bloating from the hypo. My lfs guys said it is his swim blatters being affected by the very low salinity. They lemon peel appears to have lost weight too....although he is eating well {lettuce, brine, some krill}. Any sugestions??
I have been told to continue leaving my light on 24 hours a day in hopes that the ick will fall off the fish...it has seemed to work (in addtion to the hypo). Any sugestions there??
water conditions have remained perfect...i tested last night (and daily).
thnx

 

[beth]

Bloating has nothing to do with hypo. Turn the lights off and let the poor fish sleep. I'm sure having the lights on all the time is very stressful. Keeping them on has no effect on ich.
Remember to start counting the 3 wks after all the ich from all fish have disappeared. If the fish are hungry, feed them. Hypo makes fish hungrier--faster metobolism.