Water Quality/Clarity for newb

[sharuq1]

As many of you know I am in the process of setting up a 48g bow. I have not got lighting for it yet, but I am leaning to t5's. Unfortunately this tank has to be run sumpless due to lack of room and how the stand was built. I need some good suggestions for how to best maintain water clarity on a sumpless tank.

What is currently running:

Rena XP2 (going to have to get rid of soon I think due to the microbubbles it puts out--unless of course someone points out good reason to keep it--kind of a detritus trap--came with the tank)
Coralife Super Skimmer
Seio 820
LS on the bottom (still getting old sand taken out and gradually replacing with new)

What I will put on:
AC110 eventually modded into a fuge
more powerheads
lighting

I realise the system needs more flow as well, but not sure what to put in for that yet. Suggestions would be great.


Corals to go in will be frog/hammerspawn,acan ,mushrooms, rics, m. digitata and toadstool. Somewhere along the line would like more softies, possibly a few sps near the top and maybe a clam if I am brave.

It was suggested I run carbon. How often should that be replaced and how much should be run? Is there anything else I can do for water quality and clarity that won't break the bank?

I have heard some things about running phosphate removers through a gadget of some sort as well as a tiny bit about that zeolite stuff but I am still pretty much woefully ignorant as far as gadgets go. Are there some links anyone could point me to for hob versions of these or ones that can be run sumpless (with hose or something??)?

Edit:
To respond to the post below:

-I am using RO from a local place in town, but I am trying to save for my own ro/di unit so I know for sure the water is good.

-For this tank everything has decided to eat out of the "mandarin feeding stations" which are 2 spice jars. So I just stick food in there and the next day it is all gone. (pigs) All that is in the jars is tiny nls and sometimes decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. I was feeding up top for a bit but the fish are not too bright and I did not like the pellets floating on into the rock to waste there. I figure if they are all going to be pigs and eat from the jars anyway may as well let them, then the food is more or less contained. Frankly if it wasn't for the mandy there would not be food in that tank, as I like to feed sparingly. I figure as long as it is all gone the next day that it should hopefully be alright.

-the phos reactor I would really like to get, sounds great. Sounds like I won't need the zeo which is a relief as I know nothing about it.

-I don't have all the test kits yet, but I do have ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and 1 or 2 pH kits. I figured just starting that those were the most important due to the cycle and all.

-thanks for the advice! Some I already knew but others who read this will also benefit. Keep it coming.

Should I keep the XP2 or no? (If so what do I stick in there? mud? A big rock?? I would just as soon not run my carbon and media in there as I will forget about it for sure :P)
Should I run phosguard if I don't have a phos reactor? (yet--I mean to buy one soon as I am able)
Should I run purigen or some other resin based media?