Trick for Adding Same Species of Tangs to Same Aquarium or Prevent Tang Bullying

Are you looking to add a Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma veliferum) to your reef aquarium, but already have a Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)?  How about an Naso Tang (Naso elegans) and a Unicorn Tang (Naso brevirostris)?

Rule of thumb is that if you are going to have the same genus of tangs, you should add them at the same time or within a couple days before they establish their territories.  But lets be honest.  Fish die and need to be replaced, or we don't always have extra wads of cash and need to buy fish in stages.  Here is a trick that I have used successfully to add . 

Get some small mirrors (6" by 6") mirrors from Target or Walmart and place them into your aquarium before you add the new tangs to your aquarium.  The existing tang will be more focused on the tang that looks exactly like him rather than the tang that is a similar species.  You will need to keep the mirrors in your aquarium for a couple weeks as the new tang establishes their territory.  After a couple weeks, remove the mirror and monitor the behavior of the tangs.  If they start taking exception to each other, but the mirrors back in for another couple weeks.  Eventually, the tangs will respect each others territories and live in peaceful harmony.