There is quite a bit of plants in it, just the cloudiness hides a lot..theres 2 small anubias, 5-6 java ferns, some thin valisnera runners that are growing out, a bunch of hygro polyspirma, a bunch of blue stricta and some water sprite.
My other tank runs similar levels of plants and is heavily stocked (90l with 8 adult platies, 3 black phantom tetras, 3 juvi yoyo loaches and 2 x 6 inch female bristlenoses and 1 x 3 inch male bristlenose) and that almost never shows a nitrate level.
I also heavily seeded the filter in the new tank with sponges and gravel from my established tank
I only have the API test kit, and I know that nitrites will show on the nitrate test so my guess is that was also part of the reading.
Have just dosed the tank with some food (hard to find straight ammonia here where I am, would need to buy Dr Tim's or frit fishless fuel from Amazon and the shipping is more than they are worth), will watch it over the next 48 hours.