do not use white sand, it looks great to start with (except the first few days it clouds your water) then it looks dirty and even when you clean it (which to keep your tank looking clean needs to be done every 3-5 days) it still never looks as good as when it was first put in. I have white sand and regret it.
lol im in the same boat you are.
mines looks pretty good overall but even right after water changes (vacuming) looks kinda dirty again