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all the fish now are covered by the little white spots, some more severe than the others. is this normal?
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I don't know if the term 'normal' is completely accurate but it is important to know that by raising the water temp, you are actually making a more ideal environment for the Ich. The idea is to help speed up the life cycle of Ich so that it falls off your fish sooner rather than later. With that being said, perhaps your fish were more infected than you could tell a few days ago.
Another aspect of this treatment is that fact that you need to help your fish regain their health/immune system so that they can fight off the ich on their own. I know this is hard because they are already experiencing stress from the Ich, the higher water temp, and maybe the salt itself, but of course, you don't want to add to that if you can help it.
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about 2am (maybe they were sleeping?) looked extremely discolored and stressed.
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Are you sure that your fish are able to get enough oxygen? The higher water temps and the salt is going to reduce the amount of dissolved O2 it can hold. Additionally, ich can affect your fishes' gills as well; placing more emphasis on the need for gas exchange.
When you noticed that they are discolored, are they a lighter color (e.g. turn from red to pink) or a darker color (e.g. turn from red to dark red/black)?
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but how can i be sure it's ICH and how can i be sure I'm killing the ICH and not my fish with all this temperature and salt level changes?
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To be honest, I don't think any of us can really answer that question and you may only be able to answer it for yourself through observation over a period of time.
It also cannot really be said that the salt and heat method is the fastest treatment available...it may arguably be the slowest...but the reason it is still a good option is because the salt and water temp are probably less harsh on your fish than a medication.
It is also very important to know that a lot of your success in treating Ich will be dependent on how soon you were able to identify the problem and take action. This is generally why it may be good to err on the side of caution when you see any white spots by taking action right away. With that in mind, it can be argued that the salt and heat method would be the less risky option to choose from when you aren't 100% sure on a diagnosis because it is easier on your fish even when you are wrong and doesn't completely limit your ability to switch treatments quickly (e.g. from treating Ich to treating another problem in which meds are the best/only option)
Otherwise, you are not really treating those white spots directly, but treating those protozoa which are free swimming. Unfortunately, because you cannot see those protozoa with your naked eye, all we can do is assume that the treatment is working and stick with it. Although, that would be the same even if you were using medications.
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however, you see A LOT (i.e. thousands) of floating white specks in the water at all times.
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What you are seeing could be nothing more than tiny air bubbles floating in the water....which could be created by your bio-wheel. I know that I see something very similar to what you describe when the water level gets low enough in my sump that the pump starts sucking air as well as water. Even after adding more water, those little specks do not go away for a while.
In any case, I do not think those white specks are ich. Keep in mind that ich is a single cell protozoan and you obviously cannot see a cell with your naked eyes. In fact, you are not really seeing the individual ich protozoa when looking at a white spot, but instead, are looking at the protective shell has been created.
So, to sum that up...even though you cannot easily tell if you are winning the battle against Ich, if you do not give up on your current strategy too soon, I think you will still win the war.
