Results/Conclusions The results show remarkably little variation in carbon to nitrogen ratios among the consumers in the system (macroinvertebrates and fish). This applied across taxonomic groups as well as on a temporal scale. In contrast, the carbon to phosphorus ratios of the consumers in the system displayed a much larger degree of variation within and between taxonomic groups, as well as on a temporal scale. The basal resources (POM and primary producers) had substantially higher carbon to nutrient (N & P) ratios than the consumers, with the autochthonous resources (primary producers) being richer in nutrients (lower C to nutrient ratios) than the allochthonous resources (POM). Despite the poor elemental quality of allochthonous resources, gut content analysis showed that they provided 95% of the biomass of basal resources entering the food web. Therefore large stoichiometric imbalances between consumers and the basal resources exist in this ecosystem. The fixed elemental ratios of carbon to nitrogen in the consumers in combination with the high carbon to nutrient ratios of the allochthonous basal resources potentially constrain the secondary production of the stream ecosystem.