SUBSTRATE - REEF TANK

sorry guys if this has been covered to death (did do a search in the forum but no real clue to choice).

have a 8x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 footer im putting in as a divider wall between my office & entry in my house (I work from home and really wont to see the tank & to wow my clients) im still really new to marine & started with an old 3footer for practice for the last 7 months but had a chance to buy the 8footer with a Octopus 4000 x4 at a good price. So the question is im looking at putting about a 3" sand bed but dont wont to spend to much money on substrate if i dont have to. calc out the requirement to be about 160kg of sand @ about $1200 worth, of Aragalive Fiji Pink (dosn't need to be live) ive seen reef flakes on the net but cant find a suppler in Australia, so im hoping there is an alternative if possible? any thoughts but i don't really wont to conpromise on quality as i need it to look good and last long term as im not thinking of selling this house for atleast 10 years...

Will have a DSB in sump this time but need to have display tank nice and white - will have mixed reef at this time of thought (but fish only is tempting lol).

Bretto