Now that I know that this is my old tank, I used to run a Fluval 405 with a surface skimmer. Nitrates did eventually start to rise (after the first year). I took out all the media and replaced it with live rock rubble and never had another issue. I periodically threw in a bag of carbon in the first chamber to polish the water. But the Fluval with live rock and the remora kept the Nitrates at or near 0 for over 4 years. Good luck with the setup!

Great input.