thank you all for your replies!
i dont have a measurement of what NO3 was prior to moving the rock work. but if i understand what some of you have said, i basically do not have enough "filtration" to remove the waste and/or am feeding too much. is that a fair summary? please correct me if the summary of potential fixes is wrong:
- add more live rock to increase filtration
- cut back on feeding
- water changes
- use one of the products noted in the posts
- use the skimmer more (currently only have it on 1 day a week)
- others?