I used Silk Plants and Play Sand as well as a piece of driftwood. Its my 1st tank in a long time so I didn't go all out. I decided to use a Marineland 200B power filter on the tank. Its rated for up to 50 gallons. My tank holds a modest 29 gallons.
Here are some pictures:
Before the sand conversion...

After the sand conversion...


After the sand conversion...
