Aquatic Forge Specification

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Aquatic Forge

Open Source Infrastructure for Aquatic Food Production

Specification Overview

Aquatic Forge is an open source specification for designing, building, operating, and adapting aquatic food production systems for homesteads, households, communities, and small commercial operations.

The specification enables localized production of fish, crustaceans, and other suitable aquatic food species by combining site conditions, climate, weather, water resources, species biology, infrastructure, animal welfare, production goals, economics, and operational requirements.

Aquatic Forge is designed to support indoor, outdoor, and hybrid systems. It can be used for household food production, food independence, community-scale production, and lawful commercial seafood production.

The system uses AI as a decision-support layer that evaluates local conditions and continuously adapts recommendations rather than providing generic aquaculture instructions.

Core Principles

Aquatic Forge shall:

Adapt system recommendations to the user’s location and environmental conditions.
Support indoor, outdoor, and hybrid aquatic production.
Evaluate species based on actual site suitability rather than biological suitability alone.
Treat aquatic animals as living production systems requiring continuous monitoring and care.
Prioritize animal health, welfare, water quality, and system resilience.
Account for weather and seasonal changes.
Support both simple and advanced production systems.
Support household, community, and lawful commercial production.
Work backward from desired food production to required infrastructure and operating capacity.
Provide decision support rather than replacing qualified veterinary, regulatory, engineering, or other professional judgment.
Support local-first operation and minimize unnecessary dependence on external services.
Avoid vendor lock-in.
Allow optional modules and plugins without requiring them for basic operation.

Core Modules

Site Assessment Module

The Site Assessment Module evaluates the physical and environmental conditions of a proposed aquatic production site.

It shall evaluate:

Geographic location.
Elevation.
Climate zone.
Seasonal air temperatures.
Seasonal water temperatures.
Precipitation.
Drought risk.
Flood risk.
Storm exposure.
Freeze risk.
Heat exposure.
Sunlight.
Shade.
Wind.
Available indoor space.
Available outdoor space.
Water sources.
Water quality.
Electricity availability.
Backup power availability.
Drainage.
Building conditions.
Available construction materials.
Budget.
Intended production scale.

The module shall identify environmental advantages, limitations, risks, and infrastructure requirements.

Climate and Temperature Engine

The Climate and Temperature Engine evaluates temperature conditions and their effect on species, infrastructure, energy requirements, and production.

It shall:

Model seasonal temperatures.
Estimate expected water temperatures.
Compare temperatures with species requirements.
Identify heating requirements.
Identify cooling requirements.
Evaluate insulation.
Evaluate shade.
Evaluate winterization.
Evaluate summer management.
Estimate temperature-related energy requirements.
Identify emergency temperature thresholds.
Rank species according to the amount of environmental intervention required.

Weather Alert and Response Module

The Weather Alert and Response Module continuously evaluates weather conditions against the operating requirements of the aquatic system.

It shall evaluate:

Current weather.
Forecast air temperature.
Expected water temperature effects.
Extreme heat.
Extreme cold.
Freeze conditions.
Rapid temperature changes.
Heat waves.
Cold fronts.
Severe thunderstorms.
Heavy rainfall.
Flooding.
Drought.
High winds.
Tropical storms.
Hurricanes.
Tornadoes.
Hail.
Snow and ice.
Lightning.
Extended cloud cover.
Humidity.
Evaporation.
Weather-related power outage risk.

The module shall compare weather conditions against:

Species requirements.
Tank volume.
Tank location.
Tank exposure.
Insulation.
Shade.
Heating.
Cooling.
Aeration.
Filtration.
Backup power.
Water reserves.
Current sensor readings.

Weather alerts shall use severity levels such as:

Informational.
Preparation Required.
Elevated Risk.
Critical.

Alerts shall identify:

What condition is approaching.
When it is expected.
Which system components may be affected.
Which animals may be affected.
The expected severity.
Preparation actions.
Monitoring requirements.
Response actions.
Recovery actions.

The module shall correlate forecast conditions with real system data. For example, a high temperature forecast combined with already elevated water temperature and declining dissolved oxygen shall increase the calculated risk.

The module shall support preparation checklists covering equipment, backup power, emergency water, covers, shade, insulation, plumbing, drainage, water levels, oxygen equipment, feeding changes, monitoring, and emergency relocation.

Post-weather assessment shall evaluate animal behavior, mortality, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, water levels, equipment, plumbing, electrical systems, filtration, aeration, contamination, escapes, feed consumption, and structural damage.

Water Source and Water Security Module

The Water Source and Water Security Module evaluates the reliability, quality, and availability of water.

It shall support:

Wells.
Municipal water.
Rainwater where appropriate and lawful.
Surface water.
Hauled water.
Recirculated water.
Stored water.
Emergency water supplies.

It shall evaluate:

Seasonal availability.
Water quality.
Testing requirements.
Daily water demand.
Emergency reserves.
Drought.
Contamination.
Runoff.
Saltwater intrusion.
Municipal interruption.
Water storage.
Emergency replacement capacity.

Local Regulation Module

The Local Regulation Module identifies regulatory requirements relevant to the proposed system.

It shall evaluate:

Aquaculture permits.
Species restrictions.
Invasive species restrictions.
Water use.
Well regulations.
Discharge requirements.
Zoning.
Building requirements.
Food processing.
Commercial sales.
Transportation.
Animal health requirements.
Environmental requirements.

Regulatory information shall distinguish between:

Required by law.
Recommended practice.
Optional practice.

The system shall identify areas requiring confirmation with the appropriate governmental authority or qualified professional.

Species Selection Engine

The Species Selection Engine identifies aquatic food species suitable for the proposed system.

It shall evaluate:

Freshwater fish.
Saltwater fish.
Brackish species.
Freshwater crustaceans.
Marine crustaceans.
Mollusks where appropriate.
Other suitable aquatic food species.

Species evaluation shall consider:

Temperature.
pH.
Dissolved oxygen.
Salinity.
Hardness.
Alkalinity.
Ammonia.
Nitrite.
Nitrate.
Growth rate.
Adult size.
Stocking density.
Feed requirements.
Feed conversion.
Breeding requirements.
Disease risk.
Compatibility.
Tank requirements.
Filtration requirements.
Aeration requirements.
Heating requirements.
Cooling requirements.
Harvest requirements.
Production time.
Expected yield.
Legal restrictions.
Local availability.
Market value.
Experience level.

The engine shall distinguish between species that are biologically compatible and species that are practically feasible.

It shall evaluate availability of:

Hatcheries.
Juveniles.
Fingerlings.
Broodstock.
Breeding stock.
Seasonal availability.
Shipping.
Minimum purchase quantities.
Local legal availability.

Growth and Harvest Forecasting Module

The Growth and Harvest Forecasting Module predicts production outcomes for each cohort.

It shall track:

Species.
Age.
Size.
Biomass.
Temperature.
Feeding.
Growth.
Mortality.
Stocking density.
Production stage.

It shall forecast:

Growth.
Harvest dates.
Harvest weight.
Usable yield.
Mortality-adjusted production.
Transfer dates.
Grading requirements.
Harvest schedules.
Staggered harvests.

Forecasts shall be recalculated when important production conditions change.

Cohort Management Module

The Cohort Management Module manages groups of aquatic animals according to age, size, origin, and production cycle.

It shall track:

Stocking date.
Species.
Source.
Quantity.
Age.
Size.
Biomass.
Mortality.
Growth.
Feed.
Health events.
Breeding history.
Transfers.
Grading.
Harvest.

The module shall support separation of age and size groups, density management, staggered stocking, staggered harvests, and traceability from harvest back to the originating cohort.

Breeding Module

The Breeding Module supports reproduction and development of aquatic species where breeding is practical.

It shall evaluate:

Broodstock.
Sex identification.
Spawning.
Temperature.
Substrate.
Eggs.
Larvae.
Nursery systems.
Juveniles.
Grading.
Age classes.
Genetics.
Lineage.
Inbreeding risk.
Replacement broodstock.

It shall distinguish between species that are:

Easily reproduced.
Reproducible with specialized systems.
Dependent on hatchery acquisition.

Animal Health and Welfare Module

The Animal Health and Welfare Module monitors animal condition and promotes healthy production.

It shall evaluate:

Normal behavior.
Abnormal behavior.
Appetite.
Lethargy.
Gasping.
Flashing.
Wounds.
Lesions.
Parasites.
Fungal conditions.
Bacterial disease indicators.
Viral disease indicators.
Mortality.
Growth abnormalities.
Deformities.
Stress.
Overcrowding.
Water quality.
Nutrition.
Temperature.
Oxygen.
Handling.
Predator exposure.

The system shall promote:

Adequate space.
Adequate oxygen.
Appropriate water chemistry.
Appropriate temperature.
Appropriate nutrition.
Predator protection.
Low-stress handling.
Humane harvest.

The AI shall not present serious disease assessments as definitive veterinary diagnoses.

Animal Behavior Monitoring Module

The Animal Behavior Monitoring Module establishes normal behavior patterns and detects deviations.

It shall monitor:

Feeding response.
Swimming.
Schooling.
Surface activity.
Bottom activity.
Aggression.
Isolation.
Lethargy.
Abnormal movement.
Gasping.
Flashing.
Jumping.
Changes in feeding behavior.

Monitoring may use:

Manual observation.
Structured observation records.
Optional cameras.
Sensor data.
Historical behavior patterns.

The module shall correlate behavioral changes with:

Water quality.
Temperature.
Dissolved oxygen.
Feed.
Stocking density.
Weather.
Equipment.
Health events.

Behavioral indicators shall be treated as warning signals rather than definitive diagnoses.

Medication and Treatment Decision Support Module

The Medication and Treatment Decision Support Module provides structured support for aquatic animal health decisions.

It shall:

Evaluate environmental causes before recommending disease treatment.
Prioritize water quality.
Evaluate temperature.
Evaluate oxygen.
Evaluate nutrition.
Evaluate stocking density.
Evaluate stress.
Support quarantine.
Support isolation.
Compare symptoms and behavior with possible causes.
Track treatment records.
Track treatment dates.
Track affected animals.
Record authorized dosage instructions.
Record treatment response.
Track applicable withdrawal requirements.
Identify food-animal restrictions.
Identify applicable laws.
Recommend professional assistance when appropriate.

The module shall warn against unauthorized or indiscriminate medication use.

Potential escalation targets shall include:

Aquatic veterinarians.
Diagnostic laboratories.
Aquaculture extension services.
Qualified animal health professionals.

System Design Module

The System Design Module creates an aquatic production design based on the user’s goals and site.

It shall support:

Simple tanks.
Recirculating aquaculture systems.
Aquaponic systems.
Raceway systems.
Indoor controlled systems.
Outdoor systems.
Hybrid systems.

The design shall integrate species, stocking, water, filtration, aeration, temperature control, monitoring, power, maintenance, safety, and harvest requirements.

Tank Construction Module

The Tank Construction Module evaluates tank construction options.

It shall support appropriate use of:

Food-safe containers.
IBC systems.
Polyethylene tanks.
Fiberglass tanks.
Liners.
Concrete.
Custom tanks.
Raceways.
Smaller vessels where appropriate.
Insulated indoor systems.
Insulated outdoor systems.

It shall evaluate:

Structural integrity.
Food-contact suitability.
Water-contact materials.
Liners.
Sealants.
Plumbing.
Drainage.
Tank volume.
Floor loading.
Containment.
Maintenance access.

Water Management Module

The Water Management Module monitors and manages aquatic water conditions.

It shall evaluate:

Temperature.
Dissolved oxygen.
pH.
Ammonia.
Nitrite.
Nitrate.
Alkalinity.
Hardness.
Salinity.
Turbidity.
Water level.
Flow.
Conductivity where useful.

The module shall establish system-specific:

Normal ranges.
Warning ranges.
Critical ranges.
Corrective actions.
Emergency actions.

Aquaponics Integration Module

The Aquaponics Integration Module evaluates whether integration with plant production is appropriate.

It shall evaluate:

Fish biomass.
Nutrient production.
Plant requirements.
Water circulation.
Filtration.
Solids removal.
Aeration.
Oxygen.
pH.
Temperature.
Nutrient availability.
Supplemental nutrients.
Greenhouse integration.
Hydroponic integration.
Other compatible growing systems.

The module shall compare aquaculture and aquaponics based on:

Cost.
Complexity.
Water use.
Food production.
Labor.
Yield.
Maintenance.

Aquaponics shall not automatically be treated as superior to conventional aquaculture.

Water Recycling and Waste Management Module

The Water Recycling and Waste Management Module minimizes water use and manages aquatic waste.

It shall evaluate:

Water replacement.
Recirculation.
Filtration.
Solids removal.
Sludge.
Uneaten feed.
Filter waste.
Mortality.
Wastewater.
Nutrient recovery.
Composting where appropriate.
Garden use where appropriate.
Orchard use where appropriate.
Aquaponic reuse where appropriate.

The system shall prevent harmful untreated discharge and account for applicable drainage and discharge requirements.

Predator and Pest Protection Module

The Predator and Pest Protection Module identifies and mitigates threats to aquatic animals and infrastructure.

It shall evaluate:

Birds.
Mammals.
Reptiles.
Amphibians.
Insects.
Rodents.
Domestic animals.
Wildlife.
Seasonal predator activity.
Wildlife contamination.

It shall recommend appropriate:

Covers.
Screens.
Fences.
Netting.
Enclosures.
Tank barriers.
Plumbing protection.
Electrical protection.
Escape prevention.

Strategies shall be lawful and prioritize non-destructive protection.

Sensor and Monitoring Module

The Sensor and Monitoring Module determines which system conditions should be monitored.

Potential monitoring includes:

Water temperature.
Air temperature.
Dissolved oxygen.
pH.
Ammonia.
Nitrite.
Nitrate.
Water level.
Flow.
Power.
Pump status.
Aerator status.
Humidity.
Salinity.
Conductivity.

Monitoring requirements shall be classified according to system-specific importance:

Must monitor.
Strongly recommended.
Optional.

Failure and Redundancy Module

The Failure and Redundancy Module identifies system failure risks and develops contingency plans.

It shall evaluate single points of failure involving:

Pumps.
Aerators.
Filters.
Heaters.
Chillers.
Plumbing.
Electricity.
Sensors.
Controls.
Tanks.
Water supply.

It shall calculate:

Failure consequences.
Estimated animal survival time.
Production impact.
Infrastructure impact.
Required redundancy.
Emergency response priority.

It shall support redundant:

Aeration.
Pumping.
Heating.
Cooling.
Filtration.
Power.
Monitoring.

The module shall also identify manual emergency alternatives and backup power requirements.

Biosecurity Module

The Biosecurity Module reduces the introduction and spread of aquatic pathogens and contaminants.

It shall address:

Quarantine.
Isolation.
New animal introduction.
Equipment sharing.
Water contamination.
Wildlife.
Birds.
Rodents.
Insects.
Visitors.
Feed.
Incoming stock.
Drainage.
Effluent.
Mortality disposal.

Feeding and Nutrition Module

The Feeding and Nutrition Module determines feeding requirements based on the production system.

It shall evaluate:

Species.
Size.
Temperature.
Biomass.
Growth stage.
Feeding frequency.
Feed type.
Appetite.
Expected growth.
Daily feed.
Feed conversion.
Feed cost.
Expected harvest weight.
Feed cost per unit of production.

The module shall identify when feeding should be reduced or stopped because of water quality, health, temperature, stress, or other system conditions.

Indoor Production Module

The Indoor Production Module supports aquatic systems located in:

Garages.
Basements.
Barns.
Greenhouses.
Agricultural buildings.
Other suitable enclosed spaces.

It shall evaluate:

Insulation.
Heating.
Cooling.
Ventilation.
Humidity.
Condensation.
Electrical safety.
Containment.
Floor loading.
Drainage.
Lighting.
Backup power.

Outdoor Production Module

The Outdoor Production Module evaluates environmental exposure.

It shall address:

Sun.
Shade.
Evaporation.
Rain.
Storms.
Hurricanes.
Tornadoes.
Snow.
Ice.
Freezing.
Extreme heat.
Wildlife.
Predators.
Insects.
Debris.
Flooding.
Runoff contamination.

Emergency Response Module

The Emergency Response Module provides immediate response procedures for system failures and environmental threats.

It shall support response plans for:

Power failure.
Pump failure.
Aeration failure.
Filtration failure.
Heating failure.
Cooling failure.
Extreme heat.
Extreme cold.
Flooding.
Chemical contamination.
Disease outbreaks.
Ammonia spikes.
Low dissolved oxygen.
Tank leaks.
Plumbing failure.
Animal escape.

The module shall calculate emergency survival requirements based on system volume, biomass, water conditions, and available backup aeration.

Food Safety Module

The Food Safety Module supports safe harvest, handling, processing, storage, and transportation.

It shall address:

Harvest preparation.
Fasting where appropriate.
Humane handling.
Humane slaughter.
Cleaning.
Chilling.
Icing.
Refrigeration.
Freezing.
Contamination prevention.
Storage.
Labeling.
Traceability.
Processing.
Transportation.

Commercial production shall account for applicable food safety, zoning, environmental, water-use, aquaculture, and animal health requirements.

Maintenance Module

The Maintenance Module creates routine and seasonal maintenance requirements.

It shall address:

Tank inspection.
Cleaning.
Filter maintenance.
Pump inspection.
Aerator inspection.
Heater inspection.
Chiller inspection.
Sensor calibration.
Plumbing inspection.
Electrical inspection.
Backup equipment.
Seasonal preparation.
Replacement schedules.

Production Planning Module

The Production Planning Module works backward from a desired production target.

It shall calculate or estimate:

Desired annual harvest.
Harvest size.
Required animal count.
Expected mortality.
Stocking requirements.
Tank capacity.
Filtration requirements.
Aeration requirements.
Heating requirements.
Cooling requirements.
Feed requirements.
Water requirements.
Electricity requirements.
Labor.
Expected yield.
Production cycles.

Economics Module

The Economics Module evaluates the financial requirements and potential value of aquatic production.

It shall account for:

Tanks.
Plumbing.
Filtration.
Pumps.
Aeration.
Heating.
Cooling.
Electricity.
Water.
Feed.
Juveniles.
Broodstock.
Mortality.
Labor.
Maintenance.
Processing.
Packaging.
Transportation.

It shall estimate:

Startup cost.
Operating cost.
Production cost.
Cost per unit of harvest.
Expected savings.
Revenue.
Break-even point.
Return on investment.

It shall support comparison of:

Minimum-cost homestead systems.
Balanced homestead systems.
Small commercial systems.

Market and Sales Module

The Market and Sales Module evaluates potential commercial production.

It shall consider:

Local demand.
Expected price.
Harvest size.
Processing requirements.
Packaging.
Transportation.
Wholesale sales.
Direct sales.
Break-even.
Margin.

Commercial recommendations shall remain subject to applicable laws and market conditions.

Food Independence Module

The Food Independence Module converts household food goals into production requirements.

For example, a user may specify a target such as a desired quantity of seafood per household member per week.

The module shall calculate:

Annual seafood requirements.
Required harvest weight.
Harvest frequency.
Production cycles.
Stocking requirements.
Tank capacity.
Expected mortality.
Feed requirements.
Infrastructure requirements.

Seasonal Production Module

The Seasonal Production Module creates a location-specific production calendar.

It shall evaluate:

Seasonal stocking.
Breeding.
Growth.
Harvest.
Temperature changes.
Feeding changes.
Winter preparation.
Summer preparation.
Weather risks.
Maintenance.

Seasonal recommendations shall be generated from actual local conditions rather than a universal calendar.

Sustainability Module

The Sustainability Module evaluates resource efficiency and environmental resilience.

It shall seek to minimize:

Water waste.
Energy waste.
Feed waste.
Animal mortality.
Untreated discharge.
Environmental contamination.

It shall evaluate:

Solar energy.
Battery storage.
Rainwater where appropriate.
Heat recovery.
Aquaponics.
Nutrient recovery.
Water reuse.
Waste utilization.
Local feed production.

Feed Security Module

The Feed Security Module evaluates the reliability of feed supplies.

It shall address:

Feed storage.
Storage duration.
Seasonal availability.
Supplier dependency.
Supply disruptions.
Local feed alternatives.
Emergency feed planning.

Feed Production Module

The Feed Production Module evaluates whether some feed inputs can be produced locally.

Potential sources include:

Commercial feed.
Insects.
Worms.
Duckweed.
Algae.
Aquatic plants.
Agricultural byproducts.
Other locally available ingredients.

The module shall evaluate safety, nutritional suitability, legality, availability, labor, cost, and production reliability before recommending local feed sources.

AI Decision Engine

The AI Decision Engine integrates information from the core modules.

Inputs may include:

Location.
Climate.
Weather.
Space.
Indoor or outdoor conditions.
Water source.
Water chemistry.
Budget.
Electricity.
Desired production.
Experience.
Available materials.
Food objectives.
Sales objectives.
Species availability.

Outputs shall include:

Site assessment.
Species recommendations.
Species ranking.
System design.
Tank requirements.
Filtration requirements.
Aeration requirements.
Heating requirements.
Cooling requirements.
Plumbing requirements.
Stocking plan.
Feeding plan.
Health plan.
Welfare plan.
Biosecurity plan.
Breeding plan.
Harvest plan.
Emergency plan.
Cost estimate.
Regulatory checklist.
Expected production.

The AI shall identify assumptions, uncertainty, missing information, and conditions that require professional verification.

Trend Analysis Module

The Trend Analysis Module detects gradual changes before they become critical.

It shall evaluate trends in:

Ammonia.
Nitrite.
Nitrate.
Dissolved oxygen.
Temperature.
pH.
Water level.
Flow.
Feed consumption.
Growth.
Mortality.
Behavior.

The system shall identify changes such as steadily increasing ammonia or progressively declining morning dissolved oxygen and generate appropriate warnings.

Aquaculture Simulator

The Aquaculture Simulator provides scenario and what-if analysis.

Users shall be able to evaluate changes such as:

Increasing tank size.
Increasing electricity costs.
Extended power outages.
Higher water temperatures.
Increased mortality.
Reduced commercial feed availability.
Increased production targets.
Changes in species.
Changes in stocking density.
Changes in water availability.
Changes in infrastructure.

The simulator shall recalculate relevant effects on:

Production.
Cost.
Risk.
Animal welfare.
Energy.
Water.
Feed.
Infrastructure.
Harvest timing.

Intelligence and Decision Framework

Aquatic Forge shall use a connected decision process:

Location → Climate → Weather → Water → Regulations → Species → Production Goal → System Design → Infrastructure → Sensors → Operations → AI Risk Analysis → Alerts → Response → Recovery → Recalculation

The system shall continuously update recommendations when meaningful conditions change.

Production Modes

Aquatic Forge shall support:

Homestead Food Production

Designed primarily for household seafood production and food independence.

Community Production

Designed for shared food production among multiple households or community organizations.

Small Commercial Production

Designed for lawful production and sale of aquatic food at small commercial scale.

Experimental Production

Designed for testing species, infrastructure, production methods, feeding strategies, or system configurations.

System Configuration

Aquatic Forge shall allow users to define:

Production goals.
Available space.
Indoor or outdoor location.
Water source.
Climate.
Budget.
Electricity availability.
Backup power.
Desired species.
Experience level.
Desired harvest.
Desired production frequency.
Food consumption requirements.
Commercial objectives.
Available materials.
Available labor.
Sustainability goals.

The system shall use these constraints when generating recommendations.

Risk Management

Aquatic Forge shall prioritize risks according to potential impact on:

Animal welfare.
Animal survival.
Water quality.
Infrastructure.
Food safety.
Environmental safety.
Production.
Financial sustainability.

Risk assessments shall distinguish between immediate threats, developing risks, routine risks, and informational conditions.

Data and Recordkeeping

The system shall maintain records relevant to production management.

Records may include:

Site conditions.
Water tests.
Weather events.
Sensor measurements.
Animal cohorts.
Stocking.
Growth.
Feeding.
Mortality.
Health events.
Treatments.
Breeding.
Equipment.
Maintenance.
Harvest.
Sales.
Costs.
Production forecasts.
Emergency events.

Records shall support trend analysis, traceability, forecasting, and system improvement.

Human Oversight

Aquatic Forge shall maintain human control over consequential decisions.

The system shall:

Present recommendations rather than silently execute high-impact actions.
Identify uncertainty.
Explain significant recommendations.
Allow users to override recommendations.
Record important decisions where appropriate.
Escalate serious health, welfare, safety, regulatory, and environmental issues.
Avoid representing automated analysis as professional diagnosis or legal advice.

Optional Plugin Modules

Optional plugins may extend Aquatic Forge without becoming required components of the core specification.

Advanced Genetics Plugin

Provides advanced breeding and genetic management for users operating dedicated breeding programs.

Computer Vision Plugin

Uses cameras to assist with animal behavior, feeding response, biomass estimation, counting, and anomaly detection.

Advanced Water Chemistry Plugin

Provides expanded water chemistry modeling, dosing calculations, buffering analysis, and advanced treatment planning.

Renewable Energy Plugin

Models solar generation, battery storage, energy consumption, backup power, and energy resilience.

Greenhouse Plugin

Integrates aquatic production with greenhouse climate management and protected plant production.

Aquatic Feed Production Plugin

Provides expanded modeling for local insect, algae, duckweed, worm, plant, and other feed production.

Commercial Operations Plugin

Adds expanded accounting, inventory, sales, customer management, production contracts, and commercial forecasting.

Advanced Market Analysis Plugin

Evaluates local market conditions, pricing, demand, competing products, harvest timing, and potential sales channels.

Remote Monitoring Plugin

Provides remote access to system status, alerts, sensor data, equipment status, and production records.

Automated Control Plugin

Supports automated control of compatible pumps, aerators, heaters, chillers, valves, lighting, and other equipment while maintaining configured safety limits and human override.

Advanced Weather Intelligence Plugin

Provides expanded weather modeling, storm tracking, long-range seasonal analysis, and system-specific predictive risk assessment.

Community Federation Plugin

Allows multiple Aquatic Forge installations to share selected production knowledge, resources, equipment information, breeding information, feed information, and community production data without requiring centralized ownership of all system data.

Knowledge Exchange Plugin

Allows users to contribute observations, production results, species performance, construction methods, and lessons learned to a shared knowledge base.

Extension and Professional Support Plugin

Connects users with applicable extension services, aquatic veterinarians, diagnostic laboratories, engineers, regulatory resources, and other qualified professionals.

Plugin Requirements

Optional plugins shall:

Remain modular.
Avoid creating unnecessary dependencies in the core system.
Clearly identify required inputs.
Clearly identify outputs.
Respect user control over data.
Maintain compatibility with the core specification.
Identify additional risks or requirements introduced by the plugin.
Preserve applicable animal welfare, food safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
Avoid vendor lock-in.
Provide a clear method for disabling or removing the plugin.

Interoperability

Aquatic Forge shall be designed to exchange information between modules without requiring a single proprietary implementation.

Information should be structured so that:

Site information can inform species selection.
Climate information can inform temperature management.
Weather information can inform emergency planning.
Species information can inform stocking.
Stocking information can inform feeding.
Feeding information can inform water quality.
Water quality can inform health and welfare.
Health information can inform production forecasts.
Production forecasts can inform harvest planning.
Equipment information can inform failure analysis.
Weather and equipment data can inform emergency response.
Economic information can inform system design.

Resilience

Aquatic Forge shall treat resilience as a core design requirement.

Systems should be evaluated for their ability to continue protecting aquatic animals during:

Power outages.
Pump failures.
Aeration failures.
Filtration failures.
Heating failures.
Cooling failures.
Water supply interruptions.
Extreme weather.
Equipment failures.
Feed disruptions.
Disease events.
Unexpected mortality.

The system shall identify critical dependencies and recommend practical redundancy proportional to system scale and risk.

Sustainability and Resource Independence

Aquatic Forge shall support systems that improve local food resilience while responsibly managing resources.

Recommendations shall consider:

Water availability.
Energy availability.
Feed security.
Equipment longevity.
Waste recovery.
Nutrient recovery.
Local material availability.
Local labor.
Maintenance requirements.
Environmental impact.
Long-term operating costs.

Safety and Compliance

Aquatic Forge shall encourage safe construction, operation, animal handling, food handling, electrical practices, water management, and environmental management.

The system shall identify where requirements may vary by jurisdiction and shall encourage verification with applicable authorities.

Users remain responsible for complying with laws and regulations applicable to their location and activities.

Open Source Specification

Aquatic Forge is designed as an open source specification that can be implemented, modified, extended, and adapted.

Implementations should preserve the core principles of:

Local adaptation.
Modular design.
Human oversight.
Animal welfare.
Resilience.
Interoperability.
Sustainability.
Transparency.
Vendor neutrality.

Specification Branding License (SBL)

Standard

Fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant system
Copyleft enforced for network deployments
Required attribution:
- Roxanne Ardary
- https://www.roxanneardary.com/

Optional

Specification Branding License (SBL)
- Attribution-free commercial deployment
- Pricing based on scale, usage, and deployment scope
- https://roxanneardary.com/aquatic-forge/

License & Notice Requirements

Aquatic Forge is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).
By contributing to any Open Arsenal project, you agree that your contributions will also be released under this license.

Please note the following:

All contributions must comply with the AGPL-3.0+ terms.
Under Section 7 of the license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works must preserve attribution to:
Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.
Aquatic Forge specifications are free to use with attribution. A Specification Branding License can be negotiated upon request.
The project’s notice.md file tracks attribution requirements and contributor acknowledgments.
Any update that adds new contributors or modifies attribution should also update notice.md.
When submitting a pull request, ensure that any new files maintain the attribution headers where applicable.
Network-deployed versions of this software must also remain fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant, including exposure of source code modifications when applicable under the license.

For full legal details, please refer to the AGPL-3.0+ license and the project’s notice.md file.

Notice – Aquatic Forge

Attribution Requirement: Under Section 7 of the AGPL 3.0+ license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works, including network-deployed versions of this project, must provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.

Contributors

This file tracks contributors and their specific contributions to the project.

Roxanne Ardary, roxanneardary.com – September 6, 2026
Created the repository for Aquatic Forge. Developed the open source specification for designing adaptive aquatic food production systems using AI, local conditions, sustainable infrastructure, and intelligent production planning.
[Add other contributors here] – [Date]
[Describe contribution in one sentence]

License – Aquatic Forge

This repository is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).

Key Points:

You are free to use, modify, and distribute the code.
All redistributions, forks, and derivative works or network-deployed versions must also be licensed under AGPL-3.0+ and provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com as required under Section 7 of the license.
The software is provided “as is,” without warranty of any kind.

For the full license text, see GNU AGPL-3.0 License.