Yes the fish are a little bit pricier but, in my experience, they lived longer, too. (That said -and my guppies aside- I got bored and didn't do regular maintenance with the freshies.) I didn't venture into the $$$ saltwater fish - just stuck with the hardier, cheaper ones (most of mine avg'd about $20). I also bought coral fragments and waited for them to grow rather than purchase the whole specimen at one time.
This was my "box of water" near it's prime:
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...ight=saltwater
Before the black clownfish, I had this guy and he was my favorite fish of all time (i LOVE jawfish)... even though he was a pain in the rear. :D
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...jawfish_07.jpg
He had personality plus! He would stack the snails then get really mad and flare up at them when they moved. He also dug holes in the substrate and made a burrow. After he had his dinner, he'd plug his burrow with a shell (sometimes he'd try a snail) and go to bed. He also had a habit of stealing coral and hiding it in his burrow; I guess he wanted some decor. :D
When I bought my house and moved the tank, I lost EVERYTHING except the snails. I now have a 30g long in my kitchen but I don't have corals just Herbie the clownfish and a handful of snails.