I recall a tank of the past, that ran skimmerless, and had so many pods they were irritating the corals in the tank. Too much disolved organics/nutrients.
I cant say I have seen a tank that was healthy lacking pods, even with the biggest best top of the line skimmers. Nanos included.
I dont beleive there is such a thing as "removing to much of the nutrient", there is a reason we feed our tanks.
What goes in must be used or removed. Without a skimmer, it just breaks down into the stuff that will cause your tank to be dirty and depending on how you feed, possibly polluted.
I wouldnt be able to feed the way I do without a good skimmer.
Link to this artical? I am interested in seeing what else it might have to say....
I guess if someone is starving their tank, dissolved nutrient and pod poulation can suffer, but hopefully, for the animals in our glass boxes sakes, no one is doing that.