Play Sand

I have used the play sand quite often in my aquariums,mainly for cost reasons,and have had nothing but positive results.
There are a few things you need to keep in mind,and that is
a) sand does need stirred on occasion to keep pockets bacterial free
b) when cleaning tank you have to watch that you don't syphon out sand,or get it floating up into the filter as it can wreak havoc or even kill your filter.
It takes a bit more work,but once you establish it in your tank,it really looks quite lovely.

Pros: attractive easy to find cost friendly

Cons: needs stirred occasionally can wreck filters if you're not careful

Trying all different colors makes your fish bowl very pretty, you just need to make sure that you keep the bowl clean and change the sand often. So it could get pretty expensive.

Pros: Colorful

Cons: Need to clean often