# Dwarf Gourami Disease



## ondoa (Feb 8, 2015)

Can anyone tell me about this disease? How prevalent is it? I have read to completely avoid these fish. Is there a way to tell if a fish is infected or not?
thanks for your help with this. I like these fish and would like to have them in my tank, but not if they are just going to die. Also, can this disease be spread to other species?


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

My understanding is that it's viral, with no outer symptoms til it hits.


----------



## ondoa (Feb 8, 2015)

Yes, that is my understanding also. I believe it is called Iridivirus, but not sure if that is the correct spelling. I would love to hear from people who have kept DGs for a long time. How are they doing? How did you avoid the disease?


----------



## Farm (Nov 17, 2014)

I have been through a wave of the virus myself. It is very heartbreaking to watch. About 1 1/2 years ago in the United States we had a lot of it going around for quite a bit but it seems to have run its course currently. The signs of the illness are typical of any signs of sickness you would look for. I think in this current market you could purchase a good healthy male from a reputable seller with healthy tanks and run a good chance of not having an issue. It is kind of like ich....... Look everything over carefully. Not just all the fish but the total environment as well. When I went through the round of DG deaths with mine I did not lose any other fish in my community tanks. My only other comments with these fish is to say that they are a lovely peaceful community fish but they do have some territory requirements that they enjoy. They do not fare well when housed with fish such as Molly as they get ganged up on and generally harassed to death due to the territory problems. Many think the DG would be the aggressor fish but that is not the case. My only point here is try and house these beauties with mellow fish and you will have a very happy tank! Good luck.


----------



## ondoa (Feb 8, 2015)

Thanks so much for your very informative reply to my question. I think I will feel more comfortable bring home a pair now.


----------



## Farm (Nov 17, 2014)

Be careful with a pair. Unless you are placing them in a very large space... say a 55g with obstructed views (plants and various decorations) to block their line of vision you will see them fight and pick at each other. One will be strong the other weakened and forlorn with poor color and health. T hey are best alone in a smaller tank. Consider them the same as a male betta really. I know you may see them together in the store but they are young and have not come into their full hormones at that point ... or they are new in the store and have not had the time to set a territory yet. Or, like female betta when you set up a sorority... possibly by having so many in the "for sale" tank it stops the fighting. Honestly, I am not sure on that. I am sure on the home aquaria tank! Good luck in your search.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

The Gourami virus is a by product of bad breeding and rearing techniques. To import any dwarf gourami to Canada now, a company needs a veterinary certificate - they are on the restricted list as disease vectors. 

At one time, we had 2 species to choose from, T lalia (the dwarf) and T chuna (the honey). There has now been extensive hybridization and manipulation on the farms, resulting in much larger fish whose behavior is unpredictable. T lalia was always kind of nasty, while honeys were... honeys. No more.
Whatever they crossed honeys with to get the size carried a lot of aggression, and these once gentle fish are suddenly quite nasty. In effect, they changed the fish but kept the old hobby name. 
It would be fine if we could still get the natural fish, but they have become very rare in the hobby. 
The farms have been credibly accused of hormonally treating the fish before shipping, to send their colours through the roof. They of course fade away from the doctoring, and seem to die. They are raised in overcrowded conditions, zapped with hormones, hybridized.... and we wonder how they come down with a deadly virus?
A few years ago, angel fish became temporarily scarce because of a similar plague, and a lot of fishfarms were having serious guppy issues as well. The stores want super cheap fish because we want super cheap fish, and the results are there to see. 
I used to keep and breed gouramis, but I no longer have any (except for my wild-caught African Microctenopoma gouramis). The commonly available ones are a train wreck compared to even 10 years ago.


----------



## Farm (Nov 17, 2014)

Nav Black I hear your perspective on this. You are an experienced breeder and long term aquarist looking for what used to be, however, I do not feel that driving a beginner hobbyist away from the species is a good thing to do either. The current stock of fish have not been in a die off for about a year now. This person will most likely go to a local pet store or a big box chain and purchase a very beautiful dwarf and most likely have no issue other than what can occur within our normal aquaria. Not in any way attempting to be disrespectful it just seems that we have so many fish that can be added to the "list" of not the way it used to be, or handled poorly, or hybridized mess... that none of us would be able to purchase a thing. Look at what has been done to the betta industry alone? Blood Parrots? Molly? I mean name a strain anymore that some tampering has not been done. Just my opinion.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

We can happily disagree. If I were new to the hobby, I would want to avoid the worst problems. Gouramis are still in the zone. I also suggest people avoid deformed balloon fish and, yes, those poor blood parrots. 

We are generally a kind and sincere bunch in this hobby, and it comes as a shock to many that unscrupulous fishfarms are producing balloon mollies because their possibly painful spinal deformity makes them easier to ship and sell, or blood parrots with mouth deformities because it limits their fighting ways. 

That drives many out of the hobby, which is a shame, because it is a wonderful pastime.

There are lots of great fish that are hardy, colourful windows into nature. New aquarists are just as smart as old ones, and may even be more open to doing things in a more aware way than we oldtimers. 

Interestingly, I don't think there is any nostalgia in my 'the way it used to". It's what was available and could be again with demand. All the natural, healthy hardy fish still exist and are mostly all thriving somewhere. They just aren't in fashion, with the current rush to modified creatures. The large stores are constantly narrowing their offerings for convenient distribution reasons, but the better quality fish are on the industry pricelists they buy off of.


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

ondoa said:


> Thanks so much for your very informative reply to my question. I think I will feel more comfortable bring home a pair now.


I will agree with Farm on this one.
Be very careful getting a pair.
Unless you are 100%+ sure you have a female(which is less then a 1 in 100 chance IMO) I would keep one only and feel lucky if it lives healthy and normal.
Not trying to scare you away,just letting you know that these fish have such a short unpredictable lifespan that the fish farms don't sell even 1 female on purpose.


----------

