Dwarf gourami iridovirus. I am very confused.

[IzabelB]

I am planning stocking for a 40 gallon breeder, and I’m weighing the pros and cons of dwarf gourami vs honey gourami. I’ve done lots of research on aggression and it’s clear that honeys are a better choice in that category, but the problem is that I really don’t like the color yellow. DGs are so, so beautiful, I could handle the aggression issue if it weren’t for their health.
I’m very confused about the DG iridovirus, a quick google search tells me that it’s extremely contagious and over 20% of DGs carry it. However I found a thread on here where two people were debating wether it was contagious or not and it got very scientific, and hard to follow. I couldn’t tell what they decided at the end.
So I’m hoping someone could give me a straight answer, if there is one. Is DGIV contagious to other species? And is it contagious to other dwarf gourami? If it turns out that it’s contagious to other species, I’m might consider a species only tank, but that’s if it weren’t contagious within the species. If it’s the other way around, I would happily keep one lone DG in a community tank.
They are cheap at my LFS so could I keep getting them until I find one that doesn’t carry the virus? Is that even how it works, or are they all carrying the virus and will die from it at some point? Someone please give me the rundown.

 

[AggressiveAquatics]

I know this isn’t related to your question but have you considered a paradise gourami? It’s like a dwarf gourami bug with longer fins and I believe they don’t have as many health issues

 

[IzabelB]

I know this isn’t related to your question but have you considered a paradise gourami? It’s like a dwarf gourami bug with longer fins and I believe they don’t have as many health issues

I have, imo they don’t compare to dwarfs. I don’t like the look of their long fins, they look unnatural. Thanks for the suggestion though, I’ve also considered pearl gourami but they’re coloring isn’t my favorite.

 

[DoubleDutch]

I'd consider a wildype of honeys then, Thicklipped gouramis or even Pearls.

I think the DG is the most beautiful fish existing, but there is hardly anyone that is able to keep it healthy for a long time.
Make the 20% a 80% nowadays.
Cheap means often Asian import.

Be smart skip the dwarfs.

 

[IzabelB]

I'd consider a wildype of honeys then, Thicklipped gouramis or even Pearls.

I think the DG is the most beautiful fish existing, but there is hardly anyone that is able to keep it healthy for a long time.
Make the 20% a 80% nowadays.
Cheap means often Asian import.

Be smart skip the dwarfs.

Thank you, I have been researching them for several days and I think I will take your advice. It’s such a tease to have those gorgeous fish available in my lfs and not being able to keep them alive for more than a couple weeks.

 

[Trekker1125]

Thank you, I have been researching them for several days and I think I will take your advice. It’s such a tease to have those gorgeous fish available in my lfs and not being able to keep them alive for more than a couple weeks.

Personally, I had gotten 2 DGs in Jan/Feb-ish, both did just fine health-wise. I ended up rehoming one after a couple months due to aggression, and now I'm finding that the other has become aggressive, but it's periodic. When he decides he wants to build a bubble nest, he goes crazy ripping up plants (injures his mouth in doing so, every time), and chases the other fish around. It's great that he is comfy and looking to mate, but it throws the whole tank out of whack and upsets his tank mates. Hoping to rehome him soon as well. They are pretty, but I would recommend skipping them if you are looking for a peaceful, community set up, or a planted tank. Perhaps a species only tank that is set up specifically for their mating behavior would be suitable if you really want to try it out.

 

[Magua]

I might not buy a DG again after reading everything about them here. But I did get one a while back (maybe 4-5 months?) and he’s AWESOME. He’s very busy and industrious, always rearranging floating plants and grabbing bits of other plants to create his bubble masterpieces. Hopefully he continues to do well as he’s definitely the star of the show in my 29 gallon community tank!

 

[Mudminnow]

Another gourami to consider could be the Banded Gourami, Trichogaster fasciata. These are harder to find unfortunately. I only rarely see them for sale online. But, I think they look similar to dwarf gourami. Plus, I've never heard of these having the same viral or genetic problems dwarf gourami have.

 

[ProudPapa]

I'd like to encourage you to take a look at pearl gouramis. They're much more peaceful than dwarf gouramis, and in fact do well in groups, and they're very hardy. They get a little larger than dwarf gouramis, but a 40 gallon breeder is plenty big for a group of them.