horseshoe crab question

[Dolphingrrl23]

Hey everyone... I have horseshoe crabs for my thesis and 2 so far have looked as if their faces got chewed on. One had 1/2 of the carapace missing and this new one has all of its but you can tell its been chewed on or something. Does anyone know what they look like right before they molt? They're juveniles, about a year old. The only thing I have in my tank is baby horseshoe crabs and a little sand. The water is filtered from the Gulf of Mexico. They can't get into the filter unless they learned how to fly. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[saveafish]

Well crabs are crabs. a lot of crabs will eat each other if they are hungry or missing something from their diet. start there and see what you get. I would seperate them and feed them a large arrange of food.

 

[billsreef]

Got any pictures? When they are getting ready to molt, the front splits open and they essentially walk out of the old shell with a good bit of wriggling.