Quote:
Originally posted by amphirion
Once there was this question "Fish Rap" in Aquarium Fish Magasine that was: What is the responsability of the reefkeeping hobby towards natural coral reefs? I answered that question and my answer did appear in the February 2007 edition of the Aquarium Fish Magasine.
What I think is that our hobby isn't that much of a pain for coral reefs because I'm sure that in a few years species that are gone in the sea because of weather changes or overfishing will still thrive in our tanks because we can control temperature, flow, predation and water quality and these are some things that can we can't control in nature. Some species will be saved from extinction because some people decided to take a few specimens from the reefs and to keep them in aquariums. That's the way I see it. 
And I really wanted to say something else.. Another myth: You have to quarantine EVERYTHING before putting into your main tank.
Well, I never quarantined any fish invertebrate or coral before putting into the main tank and I never saw an animal die because of that. That is the same case for all my friends. The thing to remember is to buy only healthy specimems that eats in front of your eyes at the fish store. And you should not buy a fish that just arrived at the lfs. Wait one week, them come to see it; if it's a fat healthy fish that eats and is disease free, I personally don't see the need to quarantine such fish. A one hour acclimatation to my tank has always been successful for any coral, fish or invertebrate.
What I just said on quarantine doesn't apply on fish that you buy online. These should be quarantined until you are sure they are disease free and are eating prior adding them to your display.
My 2 cents 
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I don't think anyone has ever said you have to quarantine everything, but you really should. Maybe you've been lucky, maybe many people you know have been lucky, but countless pests, diseases, algaes, etc. have been added to display aquariums that could have been prevented by a simple quarantine tank. That said I've never been real big on quarantine tanks for myself, and I usually get lucky, but I know I should be quarantining everything. Just because a coral or a fish appears halethy and is eating does not mean it can't intriduce something nasty to a display tank.
As to the destruction of corals reefs as a result of the aquarium hobby, it's an undeniable fact that it has happened and is happening. Like I said, there are many factors and causes besides our hobby, and perhaps certain corals would go extinct without any interference from humans. Perhaps some of those corals will still exist in aquariums for years to come. However, I don't see that as any justification for the destruction this hobby has caused.