My goldfish is swollen. Is she pregnant? How long do they carry eggs?

Not necessarily unfortunately. Abdominal infections, skin oedema, overinflated swimbladder can be common differentials. A check up is required to understand underlying condition and treat appropriately (if treatment is needed). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

You need only provide plenty of space, clean water and a quality flake or pelleted diet. Male goldfish will develop white dots on the fins and gills when ready to mate. He (they) may chase her around and bump her stomach to get her to spawn (lay eggs). When she is ready, she will seek out planted or quiet area of the tank and spawn. The males will then release sperm to fertilize the eggs. The eggs will need to be removed to a separate tank to prevent them from being eaten by the adults. The eggs will need to be kept at a certain temperature and in clean water until they hatch within a week's time. Afterwards, you will have MANY fish to care for and feed. This can quickly become an overwhelming task and should not be undertaken without serious forethought. You can read more about goldfish breeding here: http://thegoldfishtank.com/goldfish-care/breeding/goldfish-breeding-breed-goldfish/

Thanks for reaching out about your glowfish. Being gravid can produce distensions on both sides but so can coelomic fluid, an organ enlargement (liver, kidney), constipation and other problems. If having difficulty swimming, eating or isolating self, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Thanks for providing pictures. Through the pictures, there is a good probability that your fish are gravid and should deliver soon. Hard to tell what species by the pictures (slightly out of focus), but usually with dropsy, the scales rise (pineconing) and the swelling extends more caudally. Dropsy is more a clinical sign and not a disease. Causes include heart, renal, liver or gonadal diseases. There is no one treatment, but depends on the cause. Few are successfully treated, unless a bacterial infection and the proper antibiotics. Hopefully you will have eggs or babies in the next few days.

Hard to say from your description whether she is pregnant or ill. You can tell male from female Mollies by looking in the area of the anus. A male Molly has a so-called gonopodium. The gestation period of a molly fish is about 60 days. Female mollies can store sperm for months and may fertilize eggs as often as every 30 days, even without a male in the tank. Mollies may release 10 to 60 live babies at a time. Here is an illustration of sexing Mollies (and other live bearers)(credit: Mwahahahaa) http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/Mwahahahaa/media/bWVkaWFJZDoyMDk0MTEzNw==/?ref=

Thanks for reaching out about Bubbles and including a photo. Abdominal distention (often termed "dropsy") can be due to accumulated fluid, eggs, enlarged organs or displaced swim bladder. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Store purchased medications are a waste of monies and will not fix anything. A diagnosis needs to be made to effectively treat. Good luck.

She appears to have eggs given her girth. There are also some vertical bars on her side that indicate she may be ready to spawn. If possible, check underneath for a pronounced white dot. This is further proof that she is ready to spawn.