Mike, it's a balance really. If you can control the NO3, and keep it in acceptable range, then changing the fish load/feeding might not be required. For me, corals were my primary concern, so I managed my tank to emphasize those. For people that prefer fish over coral coloration, then some NO3 is to be expected, and as long as it's manageable, it's not a large concern. And instead of flake I would switch to pellets, as those tend to end up in the fish more so than flakes (IME). If you feed any frozen foods, rinse well before feeding. If you can keep NO3 below ~20 ppm, I wouldn't worry too much. If you sit around 40+ppm, then maybe rethink what you're doing.
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Brad
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