Is the tank Up & Running? How long has it been up if so?
You need to get rid of the sponges & bio balls but not all at once if the tank is already cycled and dependent on them. If the tank is new and NOT cycled you can pull them out quickly but if it's up and running you'll want to do it in 1/3 increments. Every water change remove 1/3 of them and then allow the system to recover it's bacteria population so that you don't create a major cycle event all over again. This is dependent upon your tank being ready by: you're already using Live Sand, already using Live Rock and there's enough to provide the surface area for beneficial bacterial growth (1 - 1/2 lbs per gallon of water).
As far as the "Fision Nano-Skimmer" just go ahead and toss your hard earned $$ out the window because the majority of people who have used it are thoroughly disgusted with it. Go ahead and save just a few dollars more and get the Saphire Aquatics protien skimmer. It's a quality unit that you wont be ashamed of.
Also you can add a Koralia Nano powerhead to your 12g for added flow.
I also added a nanotuners.com 3.24 light upgrade to mine but would probably opt for MORE if I did it again.
Keep us posted and Happy Reefing
