Fish, shrimp and other aquatic animals live in constant contact with a very unique environment. Understanding how water quality impacts production and companion aquatic animals is essential to incorporating aquatic medicine into your veterinary practice. This presentation will provide an overview of the nitrogen cycle (and why it is important to understand…even though for some of us it was a BRUTAL learning curve!) as well as which water quality parameters to test and how to interpret the results. We will discuss how water quality can impact patient health and production as well as methods to improve water quality. If you are considering incorporating aquatic medicine into your practice, this is a talk you will not want to miss! {I have usually given as 50 min talk but can shorten to 25}