Neon tetra Ich treatment question

Hi ! I recently bought a small school of about 18 neon tetra for my cycled 20g tank. since the tank had no other inhabitants, I did a visual inspection when I got the fish and quarantined one in a 2 1/2 gallon hospital tank because it had a few white spots that looked like Ich. The rest looked fine for about a week or two, but tonight I noticed on two of the larger, older looking ones just one or two spots as well. Since the hospital tank is small (and that fish does not seem to be responding to the Seachem ParaGuard ) I hesitate to move those two fish into the smaller tank. Is it okay to treat the 20g tank with the other tetras if they are not exhibiting symptoms?
I also noticed it said no chemical filtration while using the medicine- does that mean no filter cartridges too? ( sorry I feel like that is a stupid question but want to make sure !)
Do I keep up with weekly water changes when treating ?
I have had Betta sororities and shrimps before but this is my first schooling fish and I love them so much!

Thanks in advance !
-Steph

 

Do water changes as directed on the bottel usally once a week ,yes it means no filter cartridges if you have sponges or biorings you can keep those in charcol often removes the medication. If you want to go a more natural medication route up the temp by 5 degrees and add some aqarium salt

 

Oh thank you FishArePetsNotObjects I do have some sponge and bio-rings so I will leave those. I have aquarium salt as well, but I swear I read that tetras are sensitive to it… have you had success with it?
I wonder if there is any sense to keeping the more infected one by himself if I end up treating the whole tank - I feel so bad for him all alone in there

 

Oh thank you FishArePetsNotObjects I do have some sponge and bio-rings so I will leave those. I have aquarium salt as well, but I swear I read that tetras are sensitive to it… have you had success with it?
I wonder if there is any sense to keeping the more infected one by himself if I end up treating the whole tank - I feel so bad for him all alone in there

Tetras can be sensitive but sometimes its worth taking the risk ive rarley ever had to do more than up the temp and add some meds and salt. With ick its best to treat the whole tank because its a free floating parasite and what you see on the fish is just one of millions of bacteria that has yet to form a catalyist in your fish think of it like a scab protecting the bacteria the salt will raise the salinity and make it harder for the ich to survive and rasing the temp. will speed up the life cycle which is very important for something as small as a tetra there is probally no point in isolating it but if it was a larger fish I probally would just because more room for the ich to latch on also tetras are schooling fish so the added stress of being alone might make it worse

 

Thank you again - just purchased an adjustable heater since I can’t raise the temp on mine, and will read up on the aquarium salt !

 

It is useless ro seperate fish that have Ich. By introducing the fish in the main tank you've to treat in the main tank.
If one has Ich the others and the water will be contaminated as well.

Read the info about Ich.

That being said, place some pics to be sure it is Ich !

 

Thank you DoubleDutch - weirdest thing , this morning I’m not seeing the spots .. I’m going to try checking again tonight when the aquarium lights are on…

 

Can you send a pic? It could have also just been a reflective spot

 

Hi FishArePetsNotObjects & DoubleDutch I finally managed to get two blurry pics (they’re so fast!)

 

It looks like ich but its blurry so I cant tell for sure I would medicate just in case

 

Mmmm can't see it clear.

In a certain stage of the lifecycle the cysts release / open from the fish and the parasite is freeswimming then.
A bit later these cyst will reoccure again.

Could be that or could be another issue (Columnaris strain found in neons).

I'd wait, clean water and see what happens. If more spots reappear, fish start flashing etc. start treatment for Ich.

 

Thank you all! I will keep an eye out, and now have the adjustable heater in case!