I keep mine with Harlequin Blend and some plain black sand mixed in with plants and 1 big piece of bog wood in the left corner. They seem to be doing better now than when they were on brown sand. Colour wise that is.
I have had the plants in there about 4 months. They were about 1/2 that size when they started. All of the smaller ones in the fore ground are from runners off the plants in the back.