I usually mix up my water in a rubbermaid bin three or four days before a water change. I just leave a powerhead (koralia2) and heater dangling in the tub for a couple days to get it mixed up good. Any powerhead will due but I like the magnet type. When it comes time for the water change, I shut off all the pumps, blow off all the rocks, and suck the visibly crappy looking stuff off the top of the sand without disturbing the bed as a whole too much. Occasionally I will stir a small portion of the sandbed during the process too. After that I just pour the mixed water into the sump and let it mix, temp adjust with that water for a while and turn the pumps back on. I usually wash the skimmer cup in the dirty aqaurium water, give the inside of the skimmer a good wipe with paper towl or rags and thats it.
When it comes to skimmers I would just suggest going big. Skimmers are usually overrated for the size of tank they can handle and not that many people have lightly loaded tanks. My aquaC is rated for 180 gallons and I have a 75 gallon with 25 gallon sump. I don't think overskimming is really an issue so i'd rather have too much than not enough. And when it comes time for a bigger tank I might not have to worry about a skimmer right away. I think the skimmer does keep that water quality very high and pulls nasty dark crud outta the tank. If you get a good quality skimmer and fair amount of good quality live rock it will save you a bit of grief down the road. Add some good lights and flow and your not far off a full blown reef.
I was a little overwhelmed when first decieded on a sump but im glad I took the time to figure it out and I would never go back. To run the sump you either need a hang on the back overflow or drill your tank. I've never ran a hang on the back overflow but they require some form of siphon tube and I think can be a little worrysome. Im sure with regular maintenance and basic understanding a hang on the back can work just as good as drilling your tank.
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