Whether or not we spend $9999999 on a certain piece of equipment that makes the water quality 20% better than spending $200 on another that does the same thing, in the end, will you really get that enjoyment out of spending that money?
For me, what it boils down to is this:
Regardless of how much one spends, or the equipment they use, provided that they DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN for the fish/corals that they have bought, then that is the most that can be expected. Stupid mistakes, like running an RODI backup unit directly from the tap, and into the tank, and forgetting to turn it off, not bothering do do water changes etc, not taking care of corals and killing them off, because you "forget". If you are not prepared to do the time in caring, don't bother!
Reef: Trying to cut off all the people who can "barely" afford to keep a marine tank by increasing the prices out of this world is going to make the hobby virtually inaccessable to all but the richest people is NOT going to make a difference. If it was worldwide, then, perhaps yes, and perhaps then the reefs would remain intact. And then people who are employed in the business would become penniless, and have a global flow-on effect on the worldwide economy.
Very often, we read how LFS don't give the customer the full information when buying a tank, and their fish / coral die, and the customer goes back, to get equipment X, and part Y, and this happens time, and time again, this benefits two people - The importer, and the shop.
i'm aware that the fish I enjoy are wild-caught, however, I am also aware that many highly cruel and inhumane ways of capturing fish are used, which means that the fish arrive, and die soon after - Cayanide fishing, Dynamite fishing etc.