I've participated in managing a pond for Donaldson strain rainbow trout for a couple of years back in '02 and '03.
One thing that I've learned is that your best friend is good notekeeping. Great job and great report. The reward to anybody helping you is this sort of data accumulation.
Have you decreased the feeding schedule at all as the temp climbs?
Are you feeding highest protein fish chow?
It's exciting that you're doing this and I'm pleased that you are, but don't be surprised if you lose all of them at one time. My impression is that when the first one is about to kick off, he'll swim around real quick and tell the others to drink the Kool-Aid.
Would you please clarify the statement about the aerator turning on and off? I read that to mean that you're only running it within that three degree band. No wait---you're saying that it turns on when temps drop below 60, then back off as they climb back above 63 the following day, right? What have your nighttime temperatures been like lately? I honestly think you can run it a couple more degrees in the morning. Regardless, you don't want your aerator turning on and off during a night when your plants are consuming oxygen. Cecil would know better, but I'd think you're pretty safe up to 65 or 66 degrees.
I can't remember where the diffuser is set within the water column. It's not on the bottom, correct?
