Is it necessary?

[Carapar56]

I was just wondering if you had to put some type of cloth or sponge material into a canister filter. I would like to set up my 2013 eheim classic canister filter today and start cycling it but I don't have any coarse cloth or sponge filter media.. I have a ton of biomedia stones, would those work alone??

[KingFisher]

Yes, you can start cycling it with just the bio-media and then just add the sponges when you get them.

[talldutchie]

Yeah, that will work

In the eheim classics you top off the cermaics with a sponge to "polish"the water and a bit of floss to ensure no bits get in the impeller or back in the tank.

[Carapar56]

Alright thankyou. Would pillow stuffing work? O.o I have the classic pillow stuffing that you use for like stuffed animals and such. I've used it in my filters before but after awhile it tends to get really nasty.. Would that work for the time being, and then just change it out when I get the coarse sponges??

[talldutchie]

kapok? No, that rots.

Might as well run it without for now. you can clean out the impeller if it gets mucky.
If your tank is not planted there's not going to be too much large parts in there.

[Carapar56]

Actually its going in a completely empty, bare bottom tank with no fish... I'm just setting it up now so it can cycle, then its going into a 10 gallon unplanted tank.

[talldutchie]

Well, each to his own. In that case don't fret, run with ceramics only until you get the rest.