Well, there are a couple issues I see. One is you need to separate substrate from water. This is done by either a false bottom or a drainage layer made of hydroton. Just putting substrate in the tank and filling it up with water make a bog, as you found out. The coco fiber clogged your pump and burned it up. You can also make a small pond out of a piece of plexi glass siliconed in to separate land/aquatic portions if you don't feel comfortable with doing a false bottom or hydroton setup. But it must be 100% water tight or you'll have the same issue.