Thanks Cecil... You are the man when it comes to growing huge trout in small ponds!
Well I'm not so sure right now. Still can't figure out what is going on with my brook trout. They are only feeding on one side of the pond mostly (the side where I did not remove the Chara), and don't really start feeding until almost dark. Feeding seems good now but it's like I've got about a third of the trout I used to have. No floaters though.
I do know Chara can hold a large amount of invertebrates and it's possible they are feeding on them but I can't imagine there are enough invertebrates to cause about 85 1.5 to 2 pound brook trout to slow down substantially on the artificial feed. (And there are no fatheads in the pond). Also from my experience with feed trained trout that are fed on a regular basis, they will pretty much ignore natural feed.
Another possibility is the trout are attracted to the Chara due to oxygen production or a hiding place by the Chara, but I have my doubts if that is a factor as it never has been before.
I thought of cranking up my Kasco floating aerator at night to see if things improve, as I may have an oxygen or ammonia sag and spike at night that I am not aware of, but I loaned it out to a friend that had D.O. problems with his pond.
Don't put me too high on a pedestal.
You are a very knowledgeable poster here. I enjoy your posts and it's obvious you have a lot to offer the website.
