The parasite Bolbophorus damnificus can infect catfish and, in severe cases, cause high fish mortality. Since no approved treatments are available for infected fish, disease control methods focus on reducing populations of the two snail intermediate host species, Planorbella trivolvis and Biompharlaria havanensis . Copper sulfate application to the pond perimeter is one commonly used method to control snail numbers. Multiple low dose copper treatments are preferred over a single, high dose application to minimize negative effects to algal blooms and fish health , while still effective in reducing snail numbers. The effects of this treatment strategy on pond water bacterial communities have not been assessed and is an additional consideration , given the important roles bacteria have in nutrient cycling and fish health . To evaluate the effect of multiple low-dose copper sulfate treatments on catfish pond microbiota, twelve ponds received four weekly treatments of copper sulfate. Four ponds each were treated with copper sulfate pentahydrate dosages ( 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg/L CuSO4*5H2O) . Water samples were obtained before each weekly treatment and two weeks, four weeks, and 8 weeks after the final treatment, resulting in seven timepoints for each pond. DNA was extracted and subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing on an Illumina MiSeq. Copper sulfate dose and time had significant effects on bacterial community diversity (p<0.05). Higher copper sulfate doses minimized shifts in alpha diversity across timepoints; Shannon entropy ranges were 2.26, 1.60, and 1.32 for low, medium, and high CuSO4 doses, respectively . Similarly, beta diversity was more volatile across sampling timepoints in control ponds compared to those receiving copper sulfate treatments. Analysis of relative abundance data suggested the stabilizing effect of copper sulfate was no longer apparent after 8 weeks . Low dose copper sulfate treatments appear to have minimal, short-term effects on pond bacterial communities.