Smart management of aquatic environments: application in above-ground fish farming tanks

Fish farming plays a key role in food security and local economic development in Benin. However, production systems remain largely dependent on manual management practices that constrain productivity, resource optimization, and operational efficiency. This study focuses on the design, development, and functional assessment of a semi-automated above-ground fish tank management system intended for small-scale aquaculture applications. The proposed system is based on a modular low-cost architecture integrating multiple sensors for the real-time monitoring of key water quality parameters, including temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity, along with an automated feeding mechanism and an autonomous corrective control strategy. System control and communication are ensured through a microcontroller-based platform combining Arduino MEGA and ESP8266 modules, while a dedicated web-based interface enables remote data acquisition, visualization, and basic decision support. A functional prototype was developed and evaluated through laboratory and operational tests focusing on system responsiveness, sensor data reliability, communication performance, and control execution. Although no experimental comparison with conventional management systems was conducted, the results demonstrate the technical feasibility and operational stability of continuous monitoring, and automated control under controlled conditions. Overall, the proposed platform offers a scalable, adaptable, and affordable technological framework that lays the groundwork for future large-scale experimental validation and the deployment of smart aquaculture solutions in resource-constrained environments.