tiny feather dusters

Question
they are starting to take over . i don't really mind them but i was wondering if they are good or bad?i have a 125 gallon fish only tank , a wet/dry and a skimmer. my only level i have trouble with is my nitrate . its about 100.

Answer
Hi Bob. These tiny feather dusters are very beneficial to your tank. Since they are filter feeding creatures they take out some of the dissolved nutrients out of the water column and actually keep your water a little cleaner. The amount of waste that they produce is miniscule compared to the amount they take out. Nitrate is always a battle in a saltwater tank. There are only a few ways to handle this that work effectively. First of course is doing more frequent partial water changes along with feeding the fish a little less. This could take weeks to bring down the nitrate to a much lower level but your fish will benefit from it in the long run. Another way is to utilize some macro algae like caulerpa in the tank to help with nutrient transport. All algae take up quit a bit of nitrate from the water however, you would need allot of it to make a noticeable difference. The only other way is to invest in a denitrating filter. I have one on my tank and it keeps my nitrate at zero at all times. Just something for you to maybe look into. Although your fish may seem happy and healthy, a high nitrate may eventually lead to stress in your fish which in turn can lead to a lower immune system which then leads to a higher risk of infections from bacteria, virus, and parasites. Your goal in a fish only tank should be to keep the nitrate under 40 ppm.