Does fear of Dwarf gourami Iridovirus prevent you from buying ?

[MitchTBF]

I have been looking into this fish, and see at Aquarium Wiki it states...

"Currently most of the Colisa lalia are arriving in pet shops with a virus (Dwarf gourami Iridovirus (DGIV)) in them. This causes lethargic behaviour, darken of colour, tumours and death within a year. This virus is also believed to infect other fish like Swordtails and Mollys, possibly some cichlids. There is no treatment for this virus."

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Does it make sense to buy one of these if this is correct ?

Thank you for any input on this topic.

[Dave66]

Mitch,
That virus came from goramies bred in Asia, and a disturbing number of strange ailments show up in fish that are farmed there. Difficult to find other sources for dwarf goramies, but express your concerns to the folks at your pet store. There are fish farms all over the world, not just in Asia, so perhaps your shop can get them from other wholesalers.

Dave

[MitchTBF]

That is interesting. The article didn't mention that specifically. I'll definitely ask them before I buy if there have been any problems reported with their stock, maybe they can even tell me where they originated.

[Lady Hobbs]

They might be US farm raised.

[VoidParadigm]

Asia, Singapore, etc - that's supposedly where the outbreaks are primarily, but the last update I've seen on that statistic was years ago.

If you can find a breeder within your country who has had their breeding pair at least six months to one year without any symptoms, the babies will probably be fine. While it doesn't actually deter me (since there are diseases that all species can be prone to) it doesn't really mean I trust petstores, especially if they can't supply me with their farm's name and/or where/who bred them.

Additionally, it's a viral infection, so as soon if one infected Gourami is added, the rest will soon too, especially if conditions are less than ideal. When looking at tanks of Gouramis, keep an eye out for ANY weak or sick looking fish. If there's even one, pass by the tank. Iridovirus can kill fish in varying lengths of time depending on the conditions and fish itself, so at least some in the tank should look less than fabulous if it (or anything else for that matter) is present.