I'm not using one but, I'm vigorously researching them. It takes a while for the media to develope the biofilm. After that, they'll start tumbling nicely. Remember that they are positively buoyant, a bit too much when new. Because of this, I often see the recommendation to start with about half the needed media and keep increasing during time. I've yet to find whether this is accurate or if it even makes a difference.
Sounds like you have a powerfull pump. Perhaps, it'll be better if you increase the output rather than having a single airstone?
BTW, half a 55 gal sounds like an awful lot of area for one tank, how much is the load(amount of fish and volume of water) for it?