Feeding wild caught Crayfish to puffers and other fish?

[Victor-Falko]

I am lucky enough to have a large creek running through my property. My creek is filled with crayfish of all sizes, anywhere from 1' to 6' inches. I would love to be able to incorporate these crawfish into the diet of my fish.
#1 because these crawfish are plentiful and free
#2 gives my fish a natural food source / filled with nutrients
#3 the hard exoskeleton of the crayfish may help wear down the chompers.

There is no concern with any pollutants/ fertilizers/ chemicals with in the creek. This is a very pristine creek that is protected and has an abundance of sensitive organisms.

My one and only concern would have to be introducing some kind of harmful bacteria or parasites into my tanks. Is this a legitimate concern? Are there any proven methods to reduce the risk of bacteria or parasites (quarantine, boil, freeze) ?

I have tried looking up information on whether it is safe or not for me to use these Crayfish, however, my findings have been inconclusive. So, I would like to ask those of you that may have experience or have some knowledge on the matter for advice. Please let me know! Thank you

 

[RD.]

Not safe, for reasons that you already assumed. Neither freezing, nor freeze drying removes 100% of parasites/pathogens. I know someone that lost an adult Mbu to this exact thing.

 

[Fat Homer]

Not safe, for reasons that you already assumed. Neither freezing, nor freeze drying removes 100% of parasites/pathogens. I know someone that lost an adult Mbu to this exact thing.

Hi RD. Since you're here, what about if you kept some in quarantine to breed, then separated the offspring at birth into another tank? I know it would probably be more effort than its worth, but would that make them any safer as a food source?

Or would the pathogens / parasites be passed on that quickly or maybe through being born from the parents?

 

[RD.]

Hard to say with any certainty, but I suspect it would be a lot simpler to just breed a domestic strain that comes from a clean, healthy, safe source. I found that buying live mussels, then freezing, then feeding within a reasonable time period, worked best.