Instructions
Watch your pregnant molly for any behavior changes. Some changes include moving slower, staying away from other fish in the tank and eating less. You may also notice territorial behavior.
Track the days since you noticed your molly was pregnant. A typical gestation period is 56 to 70 days.
Note if the dark triangular spot near the anal vent has gotten bigger and darker in color. This indicates that labor and birth are near. It may be more difficult to see the spot in darker-colored mollies.
Look for changes in your molly̵7;s stomach and overall girth. Pregnant and near-labor mollies are much bigger in the middle and look stretched out.
How to Tell When a Molly Is in Labor?
Mollies belong to a special group of fish called live-bearers, which means they give birth to live babies called fry. Female mollies produce eggs that remain inside her body after fertilization by a male molly. As the eggs develop, they eventually hatch inside the mother's belly where the fry remain until they are healthy and large enough to survive in the aquarium. It is common for mollies to give birth to more fry from the same mating because females can keep sperm inside her for long periods of time. Although mollies are often considered a beginning breeder's fish, they actually require special attention to their diet, as well as to the quality of their water to brood successfully. The typical molly will brood every eight to 10 weeks, and healthy brooders have been known to birth more than 100 fry at a time.