Hey Steve,
I have a 15g tall with a 500 aquaclear mainpump/refugium with a small powerhead as the only other equipment. (excluding lights and heater)
...ie no skimmer for >1yr. The bioload has been variable but reasonbly high for a 15g....4 fish,shrimp,crab,hermits,snails and up to 20 corals and frags, including SPS.
Given that skimmers remove DOC and aerate, sooo to go without one; you must remove organic another way...as well as maintain good oxgenation.
In this tank, I manage DOC by:
-weekly 20% water change (aerated and warmed)==DOC dilution
-lots of carbon...apx. 1cup, swap out half/ month....also keeps coral chemical warfare down.Plus a small amount of Purigen to remove what ever other nasties are there...ie sometimes get a trace of nitrate..(jury still out on purigen)===chemical and physical removal or detox.
- there is also a sand bed,LR(fuge and tank), some macroalgea, that do what they do.........natural processing.
But MOST important IMHO is to prevent DOC build-up. By this I mean things like good pulsing flow over and through and under the LR (closer to 2 lb/gal), vacumn and turkey baster up any visible debris, and of course careful feeding.
....and this allows me to go skimmerless
....lots do it and have success...and after owning a prismpro...I have my doubts about small skimmers anyway
