I bought a pair of Lace Gourami's weeks ago and have noticed that the female is looking big. Does anyone know of any signs to look for to tell if she is pregnant?

gouramis tummy just gets bigger and bigger when she fills with eggs. if she doesnt breed then they are reabsorbed in to the system again.

do you have any idea on how long it will take for her to decide to drop? is there anything i can do to encourage her to?

only if you have a male. they are a bit like bettas in that they need still water and a bubble nest.