I got my two clowns from petco.  The only reason I did this was because I was at the store as they were putting the clown shipment into their tank.  I kindly asked them for 2 that were not yet in their display and they bagged them up and I took them home.  Great healthy fish to this day.

Otherwise go for some salt, an extra PH or heater.  Some form of equipment that they can not taint as they often do their livestock.

Petco, like any other fish store sometimes has healthy fish and sometimes doesn't.  It seems like most often they don't, and in my experience they rarely have much in stock anyway.  Even when they do prices are usually much higher than other stores.  I saw a medium sized purple tang they wanted $119 for.  No other store in the valley would ever ask that kind of price.

Anyway I sometimes buy food and equipment there like heaters, or filter media.  I have also purchased salt and substrate from them when the price was right.  Unfortuately every fish I've ever purchased there died within 2 weeks so I wouldn't suggest fish even if they look healthy and are one sale.

OK so they are not perfect as everyone else here is. Will understands. They are at the will of the fish vendors just like you and I when they order a fish with out first seeing the fish. I can appreciate the apprehension, I too can watch a fish at any LFS for a week before purchasing it and still have a mort. or it lives forever and rules the tank. It's the chance we all take. 

Take the aquariums around the world that quarantines 100 fish only to have a few survive. I'll bet no one has ever thought of "How many fish had to die before this perfect specimen I'm looking at survived?" Keeping fish has always been a challenge that I enjoyed, sometimes your the bug and sometimes the windshield. C'est la vie.

I see beautiful fish at Petco as well as other LFS's all the time, Petco will always give you the chance if you want to buy the fish still in the bag, just show up when they are getting their order unpacked, still a chance of shipping shock though. Special order a fish if you like and pick it up when the order comes in, if it is mort when it arrives what are you out, nothing.

Will, how big is medium to you? I just bought a 4" purple from Petco for $59.00 last week, regular $89.00, if you're getting a better price on Purples let us know, they aren't always available through Petco at such a deal.

Good luck all at finding the deal and saving some greenbacks.

Thanks for enduring the soap box.... 

I lived in Vegas for most of last year and petco was the only petstores in vegas you could buy fish for a desant price. IMO, the help their knows slim to not much at all so their systems are not maintained or they just plain suck. Most of the fish I've seen look like absolute crap. I will admit I have purchased quite a few fish their in the past but have not bought anything since I moved back to utah and probably won't ever again. Everytime I go in a petco or petsmart I look at the employees and think to myself...................am I at a P.E.T.A convention.

No offense to any peta people that may be in the club.

I love all animals except the ones that crap in my yard or any animal that meows.