The Internet of Things (IoT) holds transformative potential for aquaculture through real-time water quality monitoring, automated feeding, and data-driven farm management. Recognizing its importance, a study was undertaken to develop an IoT prototype for biofloc aquaculture system. Based on inputs from fisheries professionals and progressive fish farmers, a farmer-centred IoT system, was designed featuring threshold-based automation, offline autonomy, on-tank display and voice alerts, and an integrated mobile application. The system uses an Arduino Mega 2560 to interface with pH, TDS, temperature (DS18B20), turbidity, and water-level sensors for continuous monitoring, with live values shown on an LCD. It can continuously monitor key water quality parameters including pH (7.0–8.5), total dissolved solids (600–1500 ppm), turbidity (75–150 NTU), temperature (22–32 °C), and water level. Whenever these parameters deviate from their optimum thresholds, corrective actions can be automatically initiated: water pumps regulate inlet and outlet flow to restore water quality, heaters maintain optimal temperature, and an automatic feeder dispenses feed at scheduled intervals. Field validation demonstrated maintenance of key parameters within threshold values and timely automated responses. This IoT-enabled system is a farmer-centric solution designed for real-time monitoring, automated control, and data-driven decision-making in aquaculture. By addressing critical barriers such as cost, ease of use, and scalability, the prototype bridges the gap between technological innovation and farmer adoption. Field trials and validation were conducted at two progressive biofloc farms in Telangana Biofloc Fisheries, Shamshabad (26.4–28.9 °C; pH 7.20–7.61; TDS 1445–1481 mg/L; turbidity 83.77–89.84 NTU) and Dhana S Fisheries, Narketpally (27.3–28.3 °C; pH 8.13–8.31; TDS 1643–1703 mg/L; turbidity 81.64–82.59 NTU) with stable water levels throughout seven continuous hours per site. The prototype was also tested at ICAR-CIFE biofloc demonstration unit. Field validation has demonstrated its reliability, accuracy, and practicality for biofloc fish culture. Future IoT integration in fisheries and aquaculture needs to be up scaled to contribute to India’s vision of a resilient, technology-enabled Blue Economy.