I've had my tank up for about 3 years. I got my first corals this summer, and they are doing great. My problems started in September, when school started. I haven't been able to give my tank the attention it needs. I've kept up on water changes, but I've missed a couple too. My tank is doing ok for the most part, but the back glass is covered in algae. The reason it's covered in algae is because of my horrific Nitrate situation. My Nitrates are around 30 ppm and I cannot seem to get them down. I only feed every other day, and I'm not a "generous" feeder. I'll feed my corals maybe once a week, if that. The weird thing is, my corals are thriving! I've never seen so much growth in my tank before, but I would like to get my nitrates down. Has anyone ever ran a tank without a skimmer? If so, how did you keep your nitrates in check?