Not that I live in Vancouver or am part of the Reef Club but I thought I would post a reply.
The interesting fact is most LFS purchase their fish from the same sources. You will find some that buy from some unheard of wholeseller or can get really rare fish but they all ususally have a commen vendor. I have purchased many fish since 1999 wholesale from the same vendors. IME, what makes for the best fish is one that is not bagged for too long.
There is a particular vendor that ships the same day you order and I can usually have them in my tanks the same day (around midnight). I have never lost many fish this way. However, the same vendor shipped some fish and the airline bumped the cargo in Arizona and they arrived around 3:00 pm the next day. What wasn't dead when I received died within 24 hours.
I think Troy hit the nail on the head. What makes a good fish store is not price. While, as a hobbiest and website owner, price is very important to drive the business and my pocketbook, it can also cost you thousands of dollars (that would be millions in Canadian
).
I quarantine every fish (even the three dollar ones) a MINIMUM of two weeks before I sell them. Think that increases the cost of fish to my clients? (HINT: YES). However, if the fish dies after leaving my tank I can guarantee that it was not due to an illness.
I, like other people, also have a tendency to want to see the fish or coral in my tank as soon as possible. However, I know the minute I put an unquarantined fish in my tank, the risk is mine and shame on me.
To answer the previous post about all LFS using Cu, I cannot speak about Canadian stores but the ones I visit do not. Some fish cannot tolerate copper and would be dead in a matter of hours if exposed. There are numerous ways to battle the diseases and not all are chemical.