Whoa.. if you can hear the pump starting to suck air, it must have been a long time since you've topped off the water. salinity must be through the roof if that ever happened in my tank. ahahaI've been running my EVO for 2 years and the intank media baskets made a huge difference so I highly recommend that upgrade along with the sicce pump which is nice and quiet. You will definitely hear water flow so if you have another room you could put it I'd opt for that since you mentioned being a light sleeper. The skimmer I would skip because you can handle nutrient export with water changes on this small of a tank. The stock light I can't say for sure what it would grow since I opted for a Kessil a160 with a Clear Lids tank cover. The lid isn't cheap but it's high quality and aesthetically it is a huge improvement over a cheap screen top imo. +1 for the ATO it's a must have or you'll be getting up at night to add water when the pump starts sucking air and making a bunch of noise. Plus you want the consistent salinity level that having an ATO provides along with not having to worry about your tanks water level when you're away from home.