So I would really like to have a sand bed instead of crushed coral. Few questions, how hard is it to maintain and what do you have to do to maintain? Just skim debri off of the top or go all the way through the sand?

If you get the right sand......its easy. I highly HIGHLY recommend caribsea special floor grade. Its heavy enough to not fly around, but its small enough to look pretty. And you can vac it. I have oolite........im switching when I move my tank. Oolite is GORGEOUS, but if you put any flow on it it goes everywhere.......and im tired of sand storms in my tank, my sps hate it!

just skim it off top and when clean rake fingers thou the sand to rotate it not to cause distrubince thats the way i have always dont it hope it helps