Catfish Ponds Research Articles

The treatment of wastewater from pangasius catfish ponds using peat-derived adsorbent materials

Peat (Mekong River Delta, Vietnam) was naturally dried, and then mixed with coal slag in the ratio of 70:30 by weight to use as adsorbent to treat wastewater from Pangasius catfish ponds in batches. The adsorbent was used in a specific designed system to treat Pangasius pond wastewater in a continuous flow model at a speed of 0.3 m3.h−1. The treatment system has operated for 9 consecutive hours in each experiment batch. The results show that the system can treat a large amount of wastewater (64.8 m3) with the efficiency (%) of BOD5 of 95.78%, COD of 95.3%, total phosphorous of 73% and total nitrogen of 89.79%. After treatment, the quality of wastewater has met the standards to be discharged into the environment.

Numerical Studies on Effects of Blade Number Variations on Performance of Sludge Pumps

The sedimentation of sludge in pangasius catfish ponds constitutes a notable challenge for the economic advancement of Vietnamese farmers. Sludge formation is the result of a composite process involving residual food, waste material, and algae, which undergo decomposition, thereby releasing hazardous gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). These emissions subsequently diminish oxygen levels within the ponds, adversely affecting the growth of catfish. Removal of the accumulated sludge is deemed necessary every two months throughout the catfish cultivation cycle. A proficient sludge pump, designed to function effectively within the Vietnamese environmental context, becomes imperative to address this predicament. The primary objective of this research paper is to explore the influence of blade count on the performance metrics of a sludge pump. Given that pangasius ponds typically exhibit depths ranging from 2 to 4 meters, this study is predominantly centered on assessing pump performance within the specified head range of 2 to 4 meters. Employing the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology, the research delves into the fluid dynamics of sludge pumps featuring impeller blades numbering 7, 8, 9, and 10. These pumps are modeled as semi-open impeller centrifugal pumps operating at a speed of 2200 revolutions per minute (rpm), with the k-e turbulence model and the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equation serving as the fundamental analytical framework.

Bacterial contamination from selected catfish pond farm and its susceptibility to antimicrobial agents

Bacterial contamination from selected catfish pond farm and its susceptibility to antimicrobial agents

Optimized Pond Structure for Catfish Farming as a Permanent Revenue Source of Ahmad Dahlan Muhammadiyah Reformatory

This community service activity was conducted in accordance with the problems faced by the reformatory, i.e. lack of revenue source to fund its regular activities, and aims to providing catfish farming ponds which can be used for life skill training medium for reformatory students and a permanent source of income for the reformatory. Having had this ponds the reformatory has an additional permanent revenue source, in addition, the ponds was constructed by optimizing the potential mechanical properties of the material being used. The methods used include object observation, interviews with reformatory management, technical guidance, and catfish farming practices. The result of this activity is the availability of three tarpaulin catfish ponds measuring 3 ´ 2 m2 each which can be used by the reformatory students as a medium for life skills training. The time for putting baby fish into the three ponds was scheduled in different times so that the harvest time would also be different such that market oversupply can be avoided. During the farming period, the reformatory students were very enthusiastic in feeding and monitoring the condition of the pond water and the growth of the catfish, so that catfish farming could run as expected. The first harvest was partly consumed and the other was sold to the local market.

Pengembangan UMKM Abon Ikan Patin Sebagai Ketahanan Pangan di Kepenghuluan Rantau Bais, Kecamatan Tanah Putih, Kabupaten Rokan Hilir

Rantau Bais Kepenghuuan has quite potential catfish ponds, usually the results of catfish ponds are sold in the form of fresh fish without any management so that management of catfish can increase the added value of catfish and become a productive economic potential for SMEs. The outreach and shredded making activities were carried out on August 12 2023 with the target community being 34 young people from Rantau Bais Penghuluan, Tanah Putih District, Rokan Hilir Regency. The aim of this outreach is to create catfish-based products, provide information and training to improve community skills in processing catfish and develop local products by mobilizing MSMEs. The methods used are counseling, training and assistance in the process of making catfish floss right through to packaging under the Karabon23 brand and marketing. The results of the activities were the formation of a group of shredded catfish producers.

Implementation internet of things-based catfish aquaculture to measure water quality and minimize pond waste

Fisheries aquaculture business really helps the community to improve their economy. This community service activity was carried out at the Lee Kung catfish aquaculture group in RW X, Kembangarum Village, West Semarang District, Semarang City. The aim of this program is to design Internet of Things (IoT) based technology as a solution to reduce catfish pond waste and efforts to prevent stunting by consuming catfish. Implementation of the program is carried out using administrative and e-commerce assistance methods, catfish pond grants accompanied by introduction and assistance in the use of IoT for monitoring catfish pond waste and assistance in preventing stunting by presenting fish nutritional material. The result of this program is increasing skills in using IoT for ponds and digital e-commerce for sales, thereby providing added economic value to cultivators. Apart from that, residents also understand the importance of diversifying food preparations made from catfish as well as providing advice on preventing stunting by consuming fish.

Spatial distribution of bacterial communities driven by multiple environmental factors in sediment of brackish channel catfish ponds in Eastern China

Sediment bacteria are crucial for maintaining water quality, preventing disease, and cycling nutrients in aquaculture ponds. In the present study, a total of 42 sediment samples were collected over the course of four months from three farms. By using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing techniques, bacterial communities were studied. Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Desulfobacterota, Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidetes and Acidobacteriota were the dominant species at the phylum level in all samples. Spatial variation had a greater impact on the bacterial community composition and distribution of brackish pond sediments. Chloroflexi, Desulfobacterota, Spirochaetota and Latescibacterota were all substantially correlated positively with salinity. Moreover, salinity was negatively correlated with beta diversity. Salinity and total organic carbon were positively correlated with bacterial community distribution. This study was helpful to understand the response of bacterial communities to habitat changes, and provided a theoretical reference for the environmental supervision of aquaculture in sediment of brackish channel catfish ponds in Eastern China.

Research verification of four commercial scale split-pond designs

Split ponds are earthen ponds divided into two sections: a small fish-confinement basin and a larger water-treatment basin. Water is circulated between the two basins using a high-volume pump. Although split ponds have proven their potential to increase the productivity of earthen catfish ponds, various pumping systems have been used in commercial settings. Choice of the best pumping system requires systematic verification of production and economic performance at commercial scale. In this study, we evaluated four commercial-scale design variants of split-pond systems. These four designs were primarily differentiated by the mechanism of water circulation between the fish-confinement and the waste-treatment sections. The water-moving devices include the slow-rotating paddlewheel, modified-paddlewheel aerator, screw pump, and axial-flow pump. This study investigated the production, economic, and investment feasibility of these four split-pond designs under controlled conditions over multiple years. An economic engineering approach using standard enterprise budget analysis was used to develop estimates of annual costs and returns for producing foodsize hybrid catfish from four split-pond systems. The additional investment capital required for converting a traditional open pond to any of the four split-pond designs ranged from $54,400 to $71,150 per 4-ha pond. The cost of production of the four split-pond designs ranged from $2.02/kg to $2.37/kg and was less than the 3-year average fish price. Higher breakeven yields are required to cover total costs, indicating increased financial risk associated with these intensive-production systems. Net present value (NPV) was highest for the modified-paddlewheel aerator design ($223,893/4-ha pond) and lowest for the screw-pump design ($74,621/4-ha pond). Similarly, the modified-paddlewheel aerator design had the highest modified internal rate of return (31%) while the screw-pump design had the lowest returns (27%). The economic and investment feasibilities of the four split-pond designs were sensitive to the prices of fish and feed. All four designs were economically feasible under current economic conditions with the modified-paddlewheel design showing greater economic potential for adoption.

Mumbul Park and Lele Village: Tourism and Creative Economy Potential in Bojonegoro Regency

Kalianyar, Kalirejo and Pacul villages were three villages in the Bojonegoro Regency that have tourism and creative economy potential. Kalianyar Village had Mumbul Park tourist destination, while Kalirejo and Pacul Villages have the potential in the form of community fishponds which can become tourist destinations and producers of catfish. This Strategic Community Service Activity aimed to strengthen facilities and improve community skills in utilising their potential. These community service activities included: 1) Revitalization of Mumbul Park; 2) Training on making souvenirs; 3) Improvement of fish pond and foodstalls facilities; 4) Training on catfish feed from Moringa leaves; 5) Training on making flossed catfish; 6) Improvement of catfish pond facilities and installation of biopores; 7) Catfish cultivation in buckets training; 8) Training on making catfish nuggets and chicken dimsum; 9) Socialization of food diversification and fish-eating movement; 10) Socialization of applications for halal certification.

Evaluating nanopore sequencing for microbial community characterization in catfish pond water

AbstractIn the United States, catfish are primarily farmed in earthen ponds, resulting in an aquatic environment influenced both by management practices and natural ecological processes. Profiling pond water microbiota can be useful for understanding what conditions may lead to microbial communities associated with production issues and could inform management practices. The aim of this study was to identify appropriate methods for bacterial community profiling of catfish pond water with nanopore sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. To this end, two forward primers, two reverse primers, and three different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle numbers were tested on a mock community consisting of aquaculture‐relevant bacteria. The optimized protocol was applied to water samples obtained from three experimental catfish ponds sampled in May, June, August, and September 2020. Applying these methods to pond samples allowed for the identification of 1488 genera, primarily within four dominating phyla: Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Cyanobacteria, and Firmicutes. High variation was observed between individual ponds and sampling timepoints; only 18 of the 1488 genera were found in relative abundances ≥1% in all ponds from at least one sampling point. Despite this variation, consistent results could be observed. Samples obtained from the month of September had the highest number of observed genera, and samples from June had the lowest. Overall, these data demonstrated individual ponds represent distinct microcosms composed of unique bacterial communities, although this pond effect was secondary to the influence of sampling month on pond community composition.

Influence of Channel Catfish and Channel × Blue Catfish Hybrids on Myxozoan Community Composition in Catfish Aquaculture Ponds

AbstractThe myxozoan Henneguya ictaluri is cited as the cause of proliferative gill disease (PGD) in Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus and Channel × Blue Catfish I. furcatus hybrids. Differences in host susceptibility result in decreased transmission rates, reduced sporogenesis, and lesser incidence of PGD in hybrid catfish. In experimental pond trials, continuous monoculture of hybrid catfish suppressed H. ictaluri abundance in pond systems compared to Channel Catfish monoculture. The present study examined differences in myxozoan community structure in catfish ponds stocked with Channel Catfish or hybrid catfish. Experimental ponds (0.4 ha) dedicated to Channel Catfish or hybrid catfish monoculture were maintained over three production cycles. Pond water collected during the spring of each year was subjected to metagenomic analysis by targeted amplicon sequencing of a diagnostic hypervariable region (DVR3) of the myxozoan 18S ribosomal RNA gene. Relative abundance of H. ictaluri was significantly greater in Channel Catfish ponds than in hybrid catfish ponds during years 2 and 3. In hybrid catfish ponds, H. ictaluri never exceeded 20% average relative abundance. Hybrid catfish ponds also revealed decreased myxozoan diversity and species evenness compared to Channel Catfish ponds, suggesting that myxozoan taxa associated with Channel Catfish may not be well adapted to the hybridized host. Results corroborate previous research indicating that hybrid catfish monoculture can suppress H. ictaluri compared to ponds that are devoted to Channel Catfish. These data imply that alternating catfish culture species in ponds (crop rotation) has the potential to mitigate PGD by precluding H. ictaluri from accumulating within ponds to levels associated with disease and catastrophic loss. Further, this work identified numerous previously unidentified taxa present within these systems that clustered phylogenetically with both catfish and noncatfish hosts. The impacts that these other myxozoans have on catfish health and production are unknown, but their presence indicates that myxozoan diversity within catfish aquaculture ponds has been greatly underestimated and is significantly influenced by stocking choice.

Investigating the Ability of Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium covae to Persist within Commercial Catfish Pond Sediments under Laboratory Conditions.

Two prevalent bacterial diseases in catfish aquaculture are enteric septicemia of catfish and columnaris disease caused by Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium covae, respectively. Chronic and recurring outbreaks of these bacterial pathogens result in significant economic losses for producers annually. Determining if these pathogens can persist within sediments of commercial ponds is paramount. Experimental persistence trials (PT) were conducted to evaluate the persistence of E. ictaluri and F. covae in pond sediments. Twelve test chambers containing 120 g of sterilized sediment from four commercial catfish ponds were inoculated with either E. ictaluri (S97-773) or F. covae (ALG-00-530) and filled with 8 L of disinfected water. At 1, 2, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 15-days post-inoculation, 1 g of sediment was removed, and colony-forming units (CFU) were enumerated on selective media using 6 × 6 drop plate methods. E. ictaluri population peaked on Day 3 at 6.4 ± 0.5 log10 CFU g-1. Correlation analysis revealed no correlation between the sediment physicochemical parameters and E. ictaluri log10 CFU g-1. However, no viable F. covae colonies were recovered after two PT attempts. Future studies to improve understanding of E. ictaluri pathogenesis and persistence, and potential F. covae persistence in pond bottom sediments are needed.

Floating treatment wetlands using Vetiveria zizanioides and Heliconia psittacorum in aquaculture wastewater treatment

The most important things needed in aquaculture are good quality and quantity of water resources. The residue from the use of pellets as additives and the results of the excretion of aquatic biota will produce liquid waste characteristics with high nutrient and organic matter content. One of the efforts to treat wastewater is using floating treatment wetlands (FTWs). This study aimed to analyze the changes in nutrients and organic matter concentrations and the removal efficiency using Vetiveria zizanioides and Heliconia psittacorum in a sewage treatment system using FTWs by grouping water quality parameters as observational variables whose linear correlations are in the line to become one main component using the PCA (Principal Component Analysis). The research was conducted on a laboratory scale using tarpaulin ponds with a batch system, the source of wastewater from catfish ponds with 12 treatment variations namely plant type, surface area, and pond depth, and observed for 30 days. Parameters monitored include total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate (NO3 −), nitrite (NO2 −), ammonia (NH4 +), orthophosphate (PO4 3-), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and in situ measurement of parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, temperature, and conductivity. At the end of the experiment, it was seen that treatment pond 7 (Heliconia psittacorum, surface cover area 50%, depth 100 cm) effectively removed 75.35% of TN and 90.70% nitrate, treatment pond 1 (Vetiveria zizanioides, surface cover area of 100%, depth of 100 cm) effectively removed TP 92.55%, the treatment pond 5 (Heliconia psittacorum, the surface cover area of 100%, depth of 100 cm) effectively removed ammonia by 94.64% and nitrite by 97.93%. Almost all treatments tested can reduce COD concentrations, while the phosphate in the study showed a fluctuation until the end of the experimental period. Based on the PCA results on day 30, TN, TP, conductivity, phosphate, COD, nitrate, pH, and temperature can represent the characteristics of changes in the concentration of organic compounds and nutrients in aquaculture wastewater compared to other parameters.

Evaluation of a snail trap prototype for monitoring the intermediate gastropod hosts of Bolbophorus spp. in commercial catfish ponds of the southeastern United States

AbstractBolbophorus damnificus is a digenetic trematode causing significant economic losses within the United States commercial catfish industry. The indirect life cycle is complex, requiring piscivorous birds, aquatic snails, and fish to complete. With federal protections on many piscivorous birds and no FDA‐approved therapeutic treatment for trematode infections in fish, management within the catfish industry is primarily limited to controlling the snail host. Planorbella trivolvis and Biomphalaria havanensis are snails commonly found in commercial catfish ponds and known to transmit B. damnificus. This study evaluated a low‐cost snail trap prototype for monitoring populations of these snails in efforts to better inform treatment regimes. Snail traps were deployed into ponds on a commercial catfish farm and checked weekly throughout the production season. All snails were identified and counted to evaluate trap efficacy. Traps captured significantly more snails in foodfish ponds than in fingerling ponds; however, this trend was not present in monthly box samples. B. havanensis was rarely collected and was only found consistently within one pond, while P. trivolvis was routinely collected from all ponds, although abundance varied widely among ponds. Snail traps could be a useful, low‐cost method to monitor snail populations within ponds and better inform control treatments.

Collaboration of the Stakeholders in Developing Community-Based Tourism in Terong Creative Village, Belitung

Tourism village empowerment needs to collaborate with other communities/institutions (stakeholders), in order to accelerate and expand the tourism village movement to achieve its goals. This study aims to: 1) find out the potential of the Terong Belitung Creative Tourism Village destination; 2) find out the forms of collaboration that have been carried out by stakeholders in developing the Terong Belitung Creative Tourism Village; and 3) find out the steps taken by the manager of the Terong Creative Tourism Village in managing the village which is done in accordance with the community interests. This study used a qualitative approach and data collection methods by doing interviews, observation, and documentation. Participants or informants as a source of research data were 6 (six) parties consisting of BNI Bank, BCA Bank, PLN, Tourism Office of Belitung Region, The Government of Terong District, and the Tourism Village Managers. The results of this study indicate that 1) Potential destinations include: River and Sea Tourism in Mangrove Forest in Terong Village, Aik Rusa' Berehun Tourism, Tebalu Simpor Laki Hill Tourism, Agritourism (Agriculture and Plantation), Catfish Pond Groups, Weaving Handicraft Group, Gambus Art and Culture Group, and the Community of Tourism Halfway House Management. 2) The roles of stakeholders are as Police Creator, Coordinator, Facilitator, Implementer, and also BNI, BCA, and PLN as the Accelerators. 3) The real form or contribution of the stakeholders especially from the bank and PLN is to build the homestays and the entrance gates to tourism village areas including the lighting system around the tourist village of Air Rusa Berehum (ARB), and also to conduct various culinary trainings and improvement of human resources training (HR). In improving the development of tourism villages, the role of stakeholders should run well. 4) The steps in managing a tourism village are being carried out by the planning stage, the implementation stage, and the last is the impact of benefits aspect stage.

Persistence of a Wild-Type Virulent Aeromonas hydrophila Isolate in Pond Sediments from Commercial Catfish Ponds: A Laboratory Study.

Virulent Aeromonas hydrophila (vAh) is a major bacterial pathogen in the U.S. catfish industry and is responsible for large-scale losses within commercial ponds. Administering antibiotic feeds can effectively treat vAh infections, but it is imperative to discern new approaches and better understand the mechanics of infection for this bacterium. As such, the persistence of vAh in pond sediments was determined by conducting laboratory trials using sediment from four commercial catfish ponds. Twelve chambers contained sterilized sediment, vAh isolate ML-09-119, and 8 L of water maintained at 28 °C and were aerated daily. At 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days, and every 7th day post-inoculation for 28 days, 1 g of sediment was removed, and vAh colony forming units (CFU) were enumerated on ampicillin dextrin agar. Viable vAh colonies were present in all sediments at all sampling periods. The vAh growth curve peaked (1.33 ± 0.26 × 109 CFU g-1) at 96 h post-inoculation. The population plateaued between days 14 and 28. No correlations were found between CFU g-1 and physiochemical sediment variables. This study validated the ability of vAh to persist within pond sediments in a laboratory setting. Further research on environmental factors influencing vAh survivability and population dynamics in ponds is needed.

The mobile gene cassette carrying tetracycline resistance genes in Aeromonas veronii strain Ah5S-24 isolated from catfish pond sediments shows similarity with a cassette found in other environmental and foodborne bacteria.

Aeromonas veronii is a Gram-negative bacterium ubiquitously found in aquatic environments. It is a foodborne pathogen that causes diarrhea in humans and hemorrhagic septicemia in fish. In the present study, we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to evaluate the presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence genes found in A. veronii Ah5S-24 isolated from catfish pond sediments in South-East, United States. We found cphA4, dfrA3, mcr-7.1, valF, bla FOX-7, and bla OXA-12 resistance genes encoded in the chromosome of A. veronii Ah5S-24. We also found the tetracycline tet(E) and tetR genes placed next to the IS5/IS1182 transposase, integrase, and hypothetical proteins that formed as a genetic structure or transposon designated as IS5/IS1182/hp/tet(E)/tetR/hp. BLAST analysis showed that a similar mobile gene cassette (MGC) existed in chromosomes of other bacteria species such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from retail fish at markets, Aeromonas caviae from human stool and Aeromonas media from a sewage bioreactor. In addition, the IS5/IS1182/hp/tet(E)/tetR/hp cassette was also found in the plasmid of Vibrio alginolyticus isolated from shrimp. As for virulence genes, we found the tap type IV pili (tapA and tapY), polar flagellae (flgA and flgN), lateral flagellae (ifgA and IfgL), and fimbriae (pefC and pefD) genes responsible for motility and adherence. We also found the hemolysin genes (hylII, hylA, and TSH), aerA toxin, biofilm formation, and quorum sensing (LuxS, mshA, and mshQ) genes. However, there were no MGCs encoding virulence genes found in A. veronii AhS5-24. Thus, our findings show that MGCs could play a vital role in the spread of AMR genes between chromosomes and plasmids among bacteria in aquatic environments. Overall, our findings are suggesting that MGCs encoding AMR genes could play a vital role in the spread of resistance acquired from high usage of antimicrobials in aquaculture to animals and humans.

Phosphorus in waste sources in Southern Vietnam: potential for recovery

The potential for phosphorus (P) recovery from various sources in Southern Vietnam has been assessed in this study. Five types of waste were studied, namely sediment from catfish pond, manure from cattle and pig farming, and also sludge from domestic and rubber-latex processing wastewater-treatment plants. The study identifies P-reserve and assesses factors related to P recovery from waste sources such as distribution, collection, transportation conditions, and composition of wastes. P-reserve from catfish farming is estimated about 17.7 kt yr-1 while reserve from pig farming is the highest, about 21.7 kt yr-1. Total P-reserves from studied wastes are estimated about 50 kt yr-1, equivalent to 37% of Vietnam’s imported nutrient P quantity in 2019. Generated sludge from rubber-latex processing wastewater-treatment plants has the highest potential and favorable properties for P recovery. It turns out to be feasible to collect and recover P from this waste source under Vietnam’s current conditions.

The Effectiveness of Various Types of Local Hydromacrophytes on The Phytoremediation Process of Catfish Pond Wastewater using a Batch Culture System

This study aimed to determine the effectivity of various types of local hydromacrophytes on the remediation of wastewater from catfish culture ponds in Gondosuli village, Gondang, Tulungagung, East Java, Indonesia, using a batch culture system. This experiment used a completely random design and was conducted in the glasshouse. The batch culture system was conducted in a 30 L tank containing sand and gravel as the medium for hydromacrophytes. This research consisted of five treatments (emer-gent, submerged, floating leaf, polyculture of 3 types of hydromacrophytes, and control without hydro macrophytes). This study was repeated three times at the same time. The effectiveness of the phytoremediation model was monitored using indicators of water physicochemical parameters and the biotic index of phytoplankton.The biotic indices were used the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') of phytoplankton and the diatom biotic index (Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) and Percentage of Pollution Toler-ant Value (%PTV)). After giving the treatment, monitoring was carried out on days 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40. The results showed that the batch culture system for phytoremedi-ation post-harvest catfish pond wastewater with local hydromacrophytes improved the water quality. However, not all water physicochemical parameters after treatments meet Indonesian water quality standards. Abundance showed water quality fluctua-tions over time, while Shannon Wiener's diversity index (H' value) decreased as water quality decreased. This study's PTV value demonstrated that pollutant levels vary by treatment. Only the control and submerged hydromacrophytes improved their TDI status; another treatment remained moderate. The best treatment was 40 days after acclimatization with polyculture treatment of three types of local hydromacrophytes. Research and othersystems like continuous culture are needed for optimal results to improve water quality. Keywords:Batch culture, Catfish pond, Hydromacrophyte, Remediation, Wastewater, Water qualit

Copper Toxicity to the Ghost Rams‐Horn Snail Biomphalaria havanensis

AbstractAvian piscivores cause direct economic losses to the aquaculture industry through predation, as well as indirect losses through transmission of digenetic trematodes. Bolbophorus damnificus is a trematode parasite associated with significant losses in catfish aquaculture. The complex life cycle involves the American white pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, planorbid snails, and ictalurid catfish. With no approved therapeutics for B. damnificus in catfish Ictalurus spp. and federal protections on American white pelican, management is restricted to controlling snail hosts. Two snail species, marsh rams‐horn snail Planorbella trivolvis and ghost rams‐horn snail Biomphalaria havanensis, are common inhabitants of commercial catfish ponds and known to transmit B. damnificus. Previous work evaluated copper sulfate toxicity on marsh rams‐horn snails; however, data are lacking for ghost rams‐horn snails. Herein, laboratory‐reared adults of ghost rams‐horn snails and marsh rams‐horn snails were exposed to copper concentrations ranging from 0.16 to 3.38 mg/L Cu to evaluate 24‐, 48‐, and 72‐h acute toxicity. Additionally, sequential low‐dose treatments ranging from 0.1 to 0.8 mg/L Cu were evaluated on eggs, juveniles, and adults of ghost rams‐horn snails as a potentially safer treatment regime for ponds. Acute toxicity was similar between snail species for all exposure times. A 72‐h exposure produced an LC50 of 0.10 and 0.37 mg/L Cu for ghost rams‐horn snails and marsh rams‐horn snails, respectively. The LC50 values increased to 1.1 mg/L Cu for both species with 48‐h exposure. However, in the multiple low‐dose study, a single dose of 0.4 or 0.8 mg/L Cu was lethal to all adult snails after 1 week, as was 0.2 mg/L Cu after two doses. Four doses of 0.1 mg/L Cu or greater killed all ghost rams‐horn snail juveniles. Results indicate that marsh rams‐horn snails and ghost rams‐horn snails have similar sensitivity to copper, and multiple low‐dose treatments were effective against all life stages of ghost rams‐horn snails. These data indicate that copper can be an effective treatment for snail control in commercial catfish ponds.