I try to keep my nitrates down around 10-20ppm. I do 25-30% weekly water changes even though I have a planted tank. As you know plants help remove nitrates from your tank because they break it down and use it as a nitrogen source. However, since your tank is overstocked, you need to go back and do a larger weekly water change to keep your nitrate levels from climbing too high. Deep vacuuming is unnessary, just touch the surface to pick up any layers of mulm.

I think Flourish and Leaf Zone probably have nitrogen components in them (probably nitrate) but this is in a fairly low concentration and should not affect your nitrate reading that much. Are all your plants healthy? Dying plants/leaves add nitrates back into the water as they decompose. It is important to prune and remove any dying plants or leaves weekly so that this does not add to your problem.

One last thing, what type of water are you using for your water change? Tap, well water, RO/Di water? The reason I ask is that ocassionally tap and usually well water has some trace amounts of nitrate in them. It might be worth it just to test that water as well. I am not sure you need all those additives Leaf Zone is similar to Flourish, but Flourish has a larger variety of minerals and I am not sure what the easy balance with Nitraban is for?

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--->Pictures of my 75g Amazon tank<----