Please help! Epistylis or Ich?

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JDCichlid

Candiru
MFK Member
May 7, 2021
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Have you tested your water?
Yes
If I did not test my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.
Do you do water changes?
Yes
If I do not change my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.
I didn’t quarantine some new fish and now have a bad case of Ich and also possibly epistylis in my 210 SA community. This EBA is the only fish that has it on its eyes, so I wanted to make sure it’s not epistylis.

tank temp was raised last night and today to 86 degrees and salt 8 cups of aquarium salt was added. I have ich x on hand but would prefer not to use it if most people think this is just ich.
C27D4483-EF6C-4A06-BA65-EC99D5DDBFA3.jpeg
 
I should mention that I originally dosed ich x and my rio nanay angels and geophagus were gasping for air (even with an mp40 wavemaker and 2 FX6 running) so I did a 90 gallon water change last night and then added salt today. Today all fish are acting much better.
 
I didn’t quarantine some new fish and now have a bad case of Ich and also possibly epistylis in my 210 SA community. This EBA is the only fish that has it on its eyes, so I wanted to make sure it’s not epistylis.

tank temp was raised last night and today to 86 degrees and salt 8 cups of aquarium salt was added. I have ich x on hand but would prefer not to use it if most people think this is just ich.
View attachment 1513089
The EBA has Ich.
 
...given it's obviously on the eyes, I'd say epistylis.20230216_162018.jpg
 
...given it's obviously on the eyes, I'd say epistylis.View attachment 1513164

That was my initial concern as well. But after raising the temperature and adding 2 tsp/gallon of salt the pathology on the eye has gone away. This makes me think it actually was ich and was just a rare case where it was actually on the eyes. I wouldn’t think Epistylis would have gone away like that with heat and salt?

30C6FC93-4E5C-45FD-B9DC-5B4DD7FCAC7E.jpeg
 
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That was my initial concern as well. But after raising the temperature and adding 2 tsp/gallon of salt the pathology on the eye has gone away. This makes me think it actually was ich and was just a rare case where it was actually on the eyes. I wouldn’t think Epistylis would have gone away like that with heat and salt?

View attachment 1513175
Would treat with both medication
 
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