How fast should I assume that they would grow given adequate amounts of food?
Up to an inch per month.
What size would be Ideal to start with?
Depends on how long you want to wait for them to get to a certain size. Sometimes smaller fish adapt better initially, but they are also easier prey by predator birds and other fish.
When you say on the high end of quantity, how many would you suggest?
I think Ken said this?
Personally I go by flow rate at a max harvest of 12 lbs. per gpm. I tried not to go much above 500 lbs. of trout upon harvest of my 1/10th acre pond with 45 gpm.
Here's my biggest brown. Just under 12 lbs. It was 5 years old maximum. I got it as a 3 year old about 18 inches and kept it two more years. My neighbor is holding it as he got off his lawnmower and helped me land it.
