http://www.reefvideos.com/
There's a skimmerless 72g tank on here check it out.
you can do the steve tyree thing and make a large zone for sponges and worms.
I am running my Oceanic 40L skimmerless (sold the remora) & it is a challenge. So far, since my fuge is in a 13.3 gal sump (fuge is approx 8 gals) I have had an algae outbreak & cyano. Now that I have added GAC & phos-zorb & the chaeto is growing like crazy, hopefully things will even out.
I've even had to start straining the frozen foods I feed. I run my fuge on a 24/7 light schedule (by force) & so far so good. I look to adding a phosphate reactor in the near future.
Of course, my tank is lit w/260W PCs & of my 40 odd spcies of coral I only have 2 SPS which is negligible.
BTW Sharn, you wanna give away any of your Xenia?
i still think that with a skimmless set up its important to run carbon.
I am planning a self circulation nano 24-35 gallon max without a fug, but will have several srains of algae, sponge, and other live stock that will take care of my nutrients in the water column. I feel like the dutrius with out the skimmer tends to build up somuch it creates a phosphate issue.