Relatively speaking, the hobby is hyperinflated compared to when I started in the mid 90s. Most coral.To be had were colonies, and ran in the vicinity of 45-50. Now that buys you a cheap fragment.
But as with most things, people are gullible, fall for the hype, and will send thousands on stuff they can't give away at the end.
As far taking from the ocean and putting them in glass, if that helps you sleep at night , that works for you. Being told wild fish hardly ever succomb to parasite such as ich in the wild.is bad enough for me. We all know how that plays out in captivity. Would you dare eat a flounder raised I'm your tank? Think of all those.lovely bacteria and high nitrates you would be getting along with it.
Rather than fix the oceans issues (runoff, over population, over fishing (yes ornamental fish too), we can justify it by saying well the tanks may be the only place for them to live at some point anyway? Like saying SEZ trafficking is fine because the pimps treat them better than these country does anyhow.
And I am sure you have all the right intentions, but how many people at the store truly have a place big enough for nasos, hippos, and acanthurus? How many more thousands of Moorish idols must perish before it's stopped?
For every one thinker like yourself, there is a thousand pet stores or lfs saying yep, save the ocean, buy from me.
Michael Vick served time for dog fighting? When tangs are forced to coexist in small quarters, who serves the time? See where Im going...