I don't think it's about the results after a year or so, many tanks will show good or even better results, but just as many tanks will do not so great, so no reference there.
It is not like waking up and decide not to perform water-changes anymore. Just because a few hobbyists or methods don't, doesn't mean everyone can do without WC's
It's all about what you're going/willing to do, or better, what you need to do instead of it.
ICP for instance, has become a lot more accessible to hobbyists than it use to be.
Once every 2 months I make use that advantage, it tells me which direction I'm heading regarding trace elements.
I don't know in which part of Hammilton you live, but you could ask my family living in Buchanan St. - Chesley St. and York Road Dundas about my tank I have no special filtration other than a BBK 250 skimmer.
On the side, for helping out occasionally, I have UV-c and Ozone, of which the latter hasn't been used for about a year.
Up to 4 months ago I had Bio-pellets running for over 2 years, I took them out because the pump stopped and I didn't knew exactly for how long it had stopped,
It couldn't have been more that 2 or 3 days but I didn't want to take the risk of getting "poisoned" water into the tank.
No phosphate or nitrate remover, no activated carbon, but than again; also no fish
.. yet. The tank is pretty heavily stocked with all kinds of coral. the ratio SPS to LPS is approx 50/50. SPS like a green/yellow top E. glabrescens, E. ancora, 3 big "spheres' of Caulastrea furcata counting at least 180 polyps each and a red B.merleti to name a few. SPS I have Hydnophora, red M.digitata, caliendrum, stylophora, red and green monti, S.hystrix and a few others of which I don't know the names. Up till now they're all growing and doing fine.
