Welcome to RS Paendora~~
I would begin water changes immediately after the cycle is finished. Have a goal of 10 ppm or less of nitrAtes. I use a siphon hose during my weekly water changes. I gently stir the top 1/2" of sand and then siphon out any floating debris. You can attach an object to the end of the siphon hose so that it sticks out abouit 3"; this way the stick/object will stir the sand but will keep the siphon hose far enough away to keep from sucking out the sand. Make sense?
The importance of water changes should not be underestimated. They are very important to the health of your inhabitants. I do a weekly 20 gal change on my 90 gal reef no matter how well my test results are... why wait for a problem to arise? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure~~