Is white silica sand ok to use in a coldwater fish tank?

Just added some silica sand to my 54L tank. The water is slightly cloudy but i guess that will settle over time, however my gold fish keep sucking it up and dispersing it everywhere. My plec does not look to impressed with it and neither do the snails. The minnows are to busy chasing each other to notice. Is this ok to use as a substrate?