You are good with a protien skimmer. Make sure it is foaming good and filling the cup with lots of dark nasty smelling water looks almost like coffer or strong tea. If its not foaming or looks like weak green tea or lighter, you need to make adjustments. I also have limited room and nowhere for a sump in my setup. I opted for a canister filter like the Fluval. It simply has sponge, carbon, phosgard and mini-bioballs. I maintain it every two-three weeks. May also want to think about the uv sterilizer. I also have one but have only had it in the tank once for an ich outbreak. Do some research, you'll read a lot of pros and cons on it's use. You'll also learn about water flow and uv wattage that some will say it does nothing or it's killing both good and bad bacteria.
