What do you think? Both are available for the same price. What would be better for a planted apisto tank?
I have used both and found that I liked the silica sand better as it wasn't as dusty as the pool media, so I didn't have to wait as long for the water to clear. The only downside to using either of these is that they don't have any nutrients for the plants, so it's up to you to add ferts..not that you wouldn't anyway, but just sayin ;)
Also with the silica, it wasn't as messy, and didn't get sucked up as much when I did cleanings.
I actually ended up using the crushed granite. It looks super good and made the plants "pop". I have it as a cap for my dirt substrate, but yes I still dose ferts weekly.
Cool! Yeah I really like how it makes the plants stand out...gives it a tropical, beachy feeling :)