Apparent,
I did much research and reading -- in fact for MONTHS before setting up a my 12g nano.
I'm speaking from my own experience (from 2 successful years running a nano) that the skimmer made a world of difference for me. The "refugium mud" leaches the trace elements back into the water on a regualr basis (look up the Ecosystem technology)...so only a simple dosing solution is required.
Weekly water changes DO make a big difference, but, over time, as the tank matures, you will see that conditions slowly change. I'm speaking from my own hands-on experience (not just research).
I know there are alot of ways to get to the top of the hill, so keep in mind that there is no "tried and true" single method. Many methods work well.
My experience showed that, after about a year, my nano needed a skimmer. Keep in mind, that I, too, thought that a skimmer was not required (because of all of the research I did on nano-reef.com -- literally months of reading).
I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that you will see that your filtration theories (gained during your research) might need to be modifified as you gain more hands-on experience. It's the typical scientific method.
Good luck with going skimmerless, I'm sure it will work fine -- it works for a few frineds of mine. I'm sticking to my skimmer -- because in my case, via empirical evidence, skimming, alon with my refugium and macroalgae export, works better for me. My water conditions are flawless -- I have corraline growing everywhere.
Happy Nano-reefing.