Does dried seaweed increase nitrate levels?

I haven't posted for a long while until today . . . spurred by my new acquisition yesterday of a yellow eye kole tang. My question is:
I purchased some dried red and green seaweed which you're supposed to tear off and clip to the inside of your tank for tangs to graze on. My kole tang seems more interested in eating the real greenery off of my live rock than eating the seaweed. If I leave the seaweed in the tank, will it increase my nitrate levels significantly?
I set up the tank in Feb and had zero nitrates until very recently, despite not a single water change (I have lots of live sand but not quite deep enough for a DSB). I checked 'trates last week and they were at 10ppm, so I did a water change (the tank's first) that reduced the levels to below 5 ppm. Because of the recent (albeit small) rise in nitrates after a very long period with 0 nitrates, I just want to minimize chances of any significant spike. Thanks.
 
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