Here_fishy_fishy

i have noticed the past week that my female molly's tummy has gotten huge!! an when she is in the light i can see black in there but i dunno wut it is.. anyway she has been hovering over the bottom latley just started that 3 days ago, she comes up when i am feeding them but she is always at the bottom now. and my male balloon molly is always sticking his nose on her tummy!!always!! otherwise everyone leaves her alone. so my question is, is she gonna have babies is she pregnant? are these signs of pregnancy??

JoshandDi

The black is probably the "gravid spot" which is a dark patch seen and located towards the back of the pregnant females tummy and appears as a dark/black spot. This spot is actually the frys' eyes you are seeing which as they develop, become darker and darker and take the appearance of the gravid spot on the outside of the pregnant fish at the back of tummy where the skin is thinner. Many people use this "gravid spot" to indentify whether a fish is pregnant or not, but not all livebearers show this depending on their color. I'm guessing this is the black spot you are refering to.

The gravid spot will have become very dark and her tummy will look so pregnant like it is going to pop. Her appetite will have increased more and she will be more competitive with other fish for food and intolerant of them. She will be spending more and more time by herself around planted areas in the tank or where ever there are hiding places available. Hanging out at the bottom is normal. She can give birth in the 3rd week if she is expecting just a few fry. Mollys can take up to 2-3 months if they are expecting a large amount of fry.