Not enough nitrates?

[sen5241b]

My nitrates were at 10 to 20ppm for a long time and then I put a big piece of chaeto in my fuge and the nitrates dropped to zero --they've been at that level for several weeks. After they dropped to zero my feather duster lost half his feathers. Could the chaeto be competing with the phytoplankton for nitrates in the water column? No doubt different algae species will out compete each other in nature. I have a lot of hitchhiker inverts that may need the phytoplankton. Maybe nitrates at just 3 or 4 ppm is optimal as opposed to zero. From what, I've read there are some nitrates and phosphates in sea water.

 

[BigH55]

Since i added my O3 generator, i cant even get cheato to grow in my sump. I believe some stuff feeds off of nitrates like clams and some feather dusters. You may have to supplement phyto to your tank. Cheato usually only collects pods, not phyto plankton.

 

[dustin_P74]

but the pods in the cheato easts the phyto

 

[BigH55]

Correct but phyto doesnt eat nitrates, and that was the original question. 0 nitrates is still the ideal situation, in my opinion.

 

[sen5241b]

Correct but phyto doesnt eat nitrates, and that was the original question. 0 nitrates is still the ideal situation, in my opinion.

Can I assume then that only some macro-algae species eat nitrates and that in general phytoplankton does not?

 

[BigH55]

Thats my understanding. Chaeto absorbs it from the water column and grows from it. The only other things i know of are clams. This was a good question. Really made me think.

 

[yote]

There are several soft corals that do better if there is a trace of nitrates.Xenia is one of em,Kenya weeds oops I mean trees is another.

 

[BigH55]

I knew someone would remind me of those. Ive seen sumos with nothing but xenia in them. Ive never got that crap to grow. When I did my angel used it as a salad bar.