While the pump will work, it should not be needed. Here are the main causes of it not reliably priming and self feeding-
1) Make sure all hoses are routed correctly, the most overlooked is the recirculate hose. The reactor has a very slight nearly imperceptable angle toward the back where the strainer is, the lid needs to be fitted so the nipple for the recirc line is by the strainer. This line should also have the flow restrictor in it, it is a hose coupling that reduces the flow.
2) The suction is generated by the baffle plate restriction on the bottom, the blue sponge needs to be over this plate, the media seems to make a difference, a smaller granular media such as ours seems to provide more suction than a very course media.
3) CO2 Pressure will cause fluctuations in effluent if cycled off and on, the ideal is a very steady, constant lower dose of CO2, if the CO2 is turned off, the pressure drops, the drip rate drops, if the CO2 is kicked on and a lot added suddenly, the opposite happens. Tuning the CO2 to be added steadily is very important.
4) Make adjustments slowly, there is indeed a lag time from closing the screw on the inlet until the outlet drop reacts, when you are close, make very small adjustments and wait about 15-20 seconds to see the full stabilized result.
5) Verify there are no leaks.
While it is definitely possible to use a feed pump and it would give a very stable drip rate, it should be entirely possible to go without. I would also request the strainer from your dealer, this part generally comes loose in the box, not installed, as it is more difficult to add media with it installed. Make sure no media entered the pump as it will damage the impeller.
