No skimmer?

I am trying to start a sal****er tank. I have been keeping freshwater
for several years, and then had to leave the country for a while for a
job and took apart my tank giving away all the fish. I am back now and
trying to start up a sal****er tank. The question is I want a VERY
SIMPLE one to maitain. My job takes me on the road up to two maybe
three weks at a time. Now my wife is home to take care of the tank
when I am gone, but for her taking care of the tank means feeding them,
and if really necessary she MIGHT take out a dead fish.

I tried a protein which I never could get to work right, and then saw
it would probably require her to empty the skimmer, not something that
thrilled her. But I did see on a web site that you could have a deep
sand bed with live rock and no skimmer? I do have about a 4" sand bed
with lots of live rock. Would that work?? I mean is a skimmer really
needed?

Thanks.
Mark.