Does stopping carbon dosing...

[Animal-Chin]

make your nitrates go through the roof?

I used NOPOX for a few months and my nitrates went from 20 to 10 which was fine but I found the bad outweighed the good from using it so I stopped. I read all over the internet that it was ok to just stop.

So I notice some weird action with my coral in the tank and start testing the water. Cal normal, alk fine, no phosphates still and then I test nitrates....80!

I've been reefing for 6 years and have never had nitrates like this!!! I only have 8 fish in a 125 gallon so I'm not over stocked. My feeding routeen hasn't changed.

Does the de nitrifying bacteria dying off cause a huge nitrate spike?

My only other thought is a sea cumber or starfish died under the rock work or something.