I like using socks there good when you clean the tank and when you feed to catch some of that junk. I agree there is no real wrong way, I would suggest the skimmer before the fuge to keep from sucking up pods.
I would think even easier.
But either way you should design your rock scape to really sturdy
My acrylic, all of my rocks are tied to a PVC structure, I can get in there and scrub them down and never worry about anything falling