Questen, who goes by “Dr. Q,” is the 21st certified fish vet in the U.S. Her practice is nestled in the mountain town of Aspen Park, Colorado.

“Nobody was doing anything about them [the fish] and I was like, ‘What do you do when these fish get sick?’ And they said, ‘I don’t know just buy a new one,'” said Questen.

For 17 years, Dr. Q has treated all kinds of fish from a 3-gram tetra fish to a $20,000 koi show fish.

“She was egg-bound so she had a big cancerous mass of eggs that she was unable to get rid of on her own,” said Questen.

Dr. Q is a friend to fish and said they’re misunderstood.

“The animal is different than you or I, but that does not mean they are not expressing themselves because they look different than us,” said Questen.