That's why I feel patience is of utmost importance. Minnows and small sunfish are not the bottom of the food web, They are quite a few steps beyond the beginning. As a new pond "seasons", plants begin to grow, periphyton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, aquatic insects, inverts and other "come with time" critters all come together to create a best case scenario. Things take time to fill the void. The more ponds I mess with in fisheries, the more I realize how impatient I am and was.