hello iam setting a 200 gallon tank and i wish to add some tangs this is my wish list
orange shoulder tang
lipstick tang
achilles tang
regal tang
2 yellow tangs ( i wish 1 yellow and 1 purple but from what i read its not recommande)
what tang should i put 1st so i dont have any tang boxing
regards
I would advise against an Achilles tang because they cannot handle parasites. Many species of tang can build a resistance but 19/20 Achilles will survive no more than 1-6 months in your tank if your tank has ever or currently has ich or the like. They require lots of flow and are not an easy fish to keep. That said, if you treat your existing fish as if they have ich (even if they don't currently) say via hypo salinity, copper, or even TTM and run the tank fallow 72-90 days (this starves the parasite in your display) and then treat all incoming fish as if they have ich as well, it may be doable.
Remember fish not showing symptoms often carry parasites. It doesn't take over because they have a resistance. They live in the gills and are otherwise undetectable to us. I would venture to guess than 9:10 fish you buy is a carrier of ich and this is why I would qt and treat them all. It isn't worth the risk.
With that in mind, mixing zebrasoma tangs can be done if added simultaneously. You would be more likely to succeed adding a purple and a yellow than you would two yellow. Neither is advisable, however. A trio of any three of the following is possible relatively easily (9/10 times) if added simultaneously;
Yellow
Purple
Scopus
Black
Gem
Sailfin
Desjarini Sailfin (*I would choose only one
Sailfin
I've done this for over a decade with several different tanks with very high success. I might add that sailfins tend to be less territorial to new zebrasoma generally than purple which tend to be the nastiest. I've never owned black or gem tangs so I can't speak to that.
The rest should not be a problem assuming you add them at about the same time or in batches. For instance adding 3 zebrasoma tangs and then adding three other tangs at a later time may work. That's a lot of tangs but with good husbandry it can be done.
Mixing similar acanthurus tangs is riskier. In my experience, 4/5 Achilles tangs are quite docile even towards powder blues and Browns so long as it's not tank boss. Powder blues are the nastiest tang on earth. The 1/5 Achilles that isn't docile is every bit as nasty as a PBT IME.
Orange shoulders and naso tangs are both docile I agree with your assertion. Also they're commonly left alone due to their size and temperament. An angry powder blue, brown, or Achilles can and will harass and likely kill any tang that it does not like.
Unlike most tangs that are aggressive, namely zebrasoma tangs, these acanthurus tangs do not forget and their "vendettas" do not subside. Once they have it out for a fish that's it you're not going to curb it with time or any amount of effort 99/100. Powder blues in particular are this way. Other tangs will let up after a few days or weeks if the new fish are alive. This is why adding in groups is beneficial as no one fish is singled out. Essentially if you add three tangs they each receive roughly 33% of the abuse and often the resident aggressors will consider taking on this many new fish as too much energy and stress and calm down much more quickly.
On occasion they will single out one of the new tangs and harass it only but I see this rarely. It's more likely if adding similar acanthurus tangs to a PBT or similar fish though.
