Dwarf Gourami: Iridovirus?

[Chinnavar]

Hello,

About a month ago I decided to get a dwarf gourami for my 10g tank which housed 3 oto's and a buttload of shrimps. My initial thought was to keep the shrimp population in control while also keeping the gourami happy with fresh food, which worked for a while before he snapped and ate 95% of the shrimp population in my tank.

Lately i've noticed that he was getting more reclusive, hiding in the back of the tank and he would try to escape my eyesight whenever I was watching him. Whereas before he would beg for food like crazy whenever I entered the room, he would even attack my hands when I was doing waterchanges. The change in behaviour bothered me, but he was still eating fine (less aggresive tho) and he had no external signs of being sick. Only his behaviour changed.

While feeding him today I noticed he had gotten sore like spots on his body, which he didnt have yesterday. Before getting him I did some research on dwarf gourami's and found out that the iridovirus really thrives within this species because of how they breed them.

I was wondering if anyone else has experience with this disease and could help me out, I attached 2 pictures of the sore like spot. It's also worth noting that he only floats in the upper level of the aquarium.

Thanks in advance!

 

[kno4te]

If it’s a virus which easily could be the case then waiting it out and providing food and clean water is the key. Separating so it doesn’t pass to the shrimp is the only suggestion I can advise.

No meds will treat a virus like this directly.

 

[Nick Park]

Apparently a large percentage of the dwarf gourami that come from Singapore are infected with iridovirus. It is incurable and fatal, so if that really is what your fish has then I'm afraid there is only one outcome to this.
I had 2 dwarf gouramis that died with the same problem. However, the good news is that iridovirus is not supposed to infect other species.
As for floating in the upper level of your tank, that would be normal for gouramis. They breath from the surface and tend to inhabit the upper and middle levels.

 

[Audaxcity]

Behaviourwise he sounds like he's just enjoying life as a dwarf gourami.

I had 2 dwarf gouramis long ago that suddenly died from the same problem.
If those sores are really from the virus, unfortunately there isn't much you can do, other than keeping up a good diet and water quality.

 

[Chinnavar]

Well, he passed away today.. I noticed more sore like spots so my guess is that it indeed was the iridovirus. May Bubbles rest in peace ):

 

[Audaxcity]

RIP Bubbles