Cecil:
I know you are probably gunshy about nasties in the water after the trout debacle. If there are BG in the front pond in cages that don't show any signs of problems, what makes you suspect there will be problems if you use water from that pond (and FHM)?
I've had FHM right on the edge of the pond where the water meets the soil with ice starting about 10" or so from shore.
If you were to use pond water from the front pond (or from another pond), how many weeks would you gain in getting the RAS up and running? On the flip side, the RAS would be easier and cheaper to treat. How will you ensure that you don't transfer any nasties to the RAS when you transfer the BG? If water from the front pond is the concern, what about water from where the BG are in the cage?
Heck, I figure I can learn from someone else's mistakes!
