Dwarf Gourami Disease

[mhancock]

A fortnight ago I got some more dwarf gourami, they did not look great in the store but I assumed they would be OK. The new male died within 2 days, the replacement male from the same store also died, then the 3rd male from another store in the same chain died and one of the females has also died now.

I am assuming that I inadvertently introduced dwarf gourami disease into my tank.....

So - can I get rid of it with big water changes, will it go away, should I put the dwarf gourami (1 male and 2 female) that are left into my other tank, and will it effect the honey gourami?

Thanks,



Mark

 

[Ruskull]

Unfortunately your tank now has "it" & I don't know any way to be certain you've gotten rid of it. I lost (2) males & (2) females myself. It's not like Ich in that you have no proven means to kill the indovirus. None that I've heard of anyway. It's really a shame because they're one of the best, personality filled, beautifully colored, normally hardy, easy to keep fish for freshwater bar none.

The Dwarf Gourami set the standard for the community tank centerpiece fish, especially if you don't have a large tank.

I don't think DGD effects Honey Gouramis but I'm not really sure.

 

[mhancock]

Thank you,

Do you think I should move the remaining dwarf gourami into my bigger tank, or would they simply take the disease with them if it is already in the smaller tank and therefore probably in the fish by now?

At least if I don't move them across, if my small tank "stays contaminated" then I have the option of putting some new ones in the big tank.

 

[Ruskull]

Thank you,

Do you think I should move the remaining dwarf gourami into my bigger tank, or would they simply take the disease with them if it is already in the smaller tank and therefore probably in the fish by now?

At least if I don't move them across, if my small tank "stays contaminated" then I have the option of putting some new ones in the big tank.

Yes, moving the fish is very risky for the new tank. It may already have "it" and you'd just be transferring the DGD to the other tank. I believe DGD can be dormant in Dwarf G's for a while before it actually kills them. It's sad, but any remaining Dwarf G's might as well stay in the infected tank. That is, if the tank is truly infected with DGD.

I bought a Male Red Flame and two females for my son's tank. I immediately loved the fish! Within a week one of the females was swimming strangley like it had 'whirling disease or something wrong with it's swim bladder. It died within a couple of days. Then I noticed one of the Red Falme's fins was clamped to his side. The next day it had red streaks in the same fin and that side of him was less colorful, like the scales were dying. The next day it cleared up and I thought I saved the little guy although the scales were still dead looking. Two days later he was dead too. Shortly afterward the other female was acting lethargic, not eating & hanging out at the bottom in a corner. She died a few days later & had similar dark areas around her belly. I swore to never buy another Dwarf and I kept that promise to myself for two months until I saw a powerful looking, muscular Powder Blue male at PetCo. All the fish from that tank looked good but he was the King no doubt. I bought him and kept him in a different tank for nearly 2 and a half months before he started showing signs of not eating, hanging out at the bottom & swimming a bit weird. Within a few days he died as well.

At this point I wouldn't take any more chances with Dwarf G's as I grow attached to them & their unique personalities. I replaced him with three male Honey Gouramis and one of them recently died but it was totally different. This fish was always kinda hanging out ny the filter inlet & nevger really ate that much yet it got all bloated like it had dropsy. Also, it's color got very white, especially around it's back & dorsal area. Within a couple of days it died. Again, I never saw that kind of Bloating in the Dwarfs that died so I hesitate to blame DGD. The other two Honey's are doing fine after almost a month since I added them to the tank.

That's all I know & I hope it helps.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Hmm.. i was under the impression that Dwarf Gourami does not affect other fish and/or your tank. I shall keep a close eye on this thread though, i recently had to euthanise my male DG for this very reason.

Terry

 

[Ruskull]

Hmm.. i was under the impression that Dwarf Gourami does not affect other fish and/or your tank. I shall keep a close eye on this thread though, i recently had to euthanise my male DG for this very reason.

Terry

I've read that DGD is species specific and once it's in a tank, there's no telling how long until the tank is truly DGD free. I should also mention that the first three died in my son's tank while no other fish showed any signs of sickness. The Powder Blue was added to the other 20 gallon in my signature and he's one of only 2 fish to die in that tank. I lost that Dwarf & just recently one of the Honey G's died. Again, the symptoms were totally different with the Honey.

 

[mhancock]

Thank you (again!),

I will keep the Dwarf Gourami in their current tank and hope that they are OK, it has been 2 days since the last one died and the remaining ones look healthy other than the male being shyer than normal and spending time in the back corner of the tank rather than the front. I do like Dwarf Gourami though, however to totally sterilise the tank and cycle again will not be possible as I have a betta that I cannot put in the other tank with angels!

I really regret buying the first infected male, I thought he looked weak in the shop but just put it down to shop conditions. In future I will be much more cautious...


M

 

[mhancock]

Now my betta has died.

ph=7.0
Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0.1
Nitrate=between 5 and 10

Is there anything else that could be going on? I know that Betta's do not last for a very long time but I had only had this one for 6 weeks.

Other fish in tank = 2 chinese algea eaters, 2 female dwarf gourami, 1 male dwarf gourami, 2 honey gourami, 2 female sword tails, 1 male sword tail, 1 baby female guppy.

Could it be the chinese algea eaters? I've heard that they can become a problem for other fish as they get bigger.

Thanks,


M

 

[Ruskull]

Now my betta has died.

ph=7.0
Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0.1
Nitrate=between 5 and 10

Is there anything else that could be going on? I know that Betta's do not last for a very long time but I had only had this one for 6 weeks.

Other fish in tank = 2 chinese algea eaters, 2 female dwarf gourami, 1 male dwarf gourami, 2 honey gourami, 2 female sword tails, 1 male sword tail, 1 baby female guppy.

Could it be the chinese algea eaters? I've heard that they can become a problem for other fish as they get bigger.

Thanks,


M

I don't know alot about Chinese Algae Eaters but I heard they can harrass other fish...........

 

[mhancock]

The other male has now died such a shame..... no point in keeping the two females now...

 

[gforce17]

I've had the same problems with DGD - lost some beautiful ones so I'm giving them a wide berth at the moment. I don't think the disease poses any threat to your other fish.

 

[mhancock]

I've had the same problems with DGD - lost some beautiful ones so I'm giving them a wide berth at the moment. I don't think the disease poses any threat to your other fish.

No, I believe it is dwarf specific, however don't know when to introduce them again - however to be honest, I probably won't want to in the foreseeable future anyway.

 

[gforce17]

That's how I feel at the moment. Someone told me that they'd persevered until they got individuals who survived well. I suppose that if they're strong enough they won't succumb to the disease even if there are traces in the tank - a bit like us with flu - it's in the air all the time but we don't always catch it. I can hear my wife saying 'Thankyou Doctor Know-it-all" I don't know at all but I'm just trying to make some sense of it? Where are you, if you don't ming me asking?

 

[mhancock]

That's how I feel at the moment. Someone told me that they'd persevered until they got individuals who survived well. I suppose that if they're strong enough they won't succumb to the disease even if there are traces in the tank - a bit like us with flu - it's in the air all the time but we don't always catch it. I can hear my wife saying 'Thankyou Doctor Know-it-all" I don't know at all but I'm just trying to make some sense of it? Where are you, if you don't ming me asking?

Thanks, near Sevenoaks, Kent

 

[gforce17]

I'm originally from Maidstone - moved to Midlands 1968 but still have some family down there. I found the Dwarf Gs beautiful, but so sad when they start to get ill and die.