My 50g long tank has an overflow, but i am not using a sump with it, just leaving it empty. for some reason fish kept going up and over, and ending up on the floor (who would have imagined?). so finally i filled it. i had a bunch of bioballs rattling around loose in a bucket, so i figured the overflow would be a good place to put them. i used a piece of thick paper to cover the hole, and dumped the balls in there. then fitted in a big piece of sponge to cover the whole overflow so no fish could fall into it.
the problem - the sponge, naturally, absorbs water. the little bit of spray from the filter or any overflow from the tank hits the sponge, and over the course of a few days, soaks it. so then the water drips down into the overflow. which has been holding about 2 inches of water for a month or so. remember, the only thing in there covering the hole is a piece of paper, like postcard thickness. somehow the paper formed a seal with the bottom of the tank when it got wet, but it still refuses to let water out through the actual hole. i can't believe it has lasted this long. i know i should get rid of the water, but i worry that if i even look at it wrong there'll be a mess.
the problem - the sponge, naturally, absorbs water. the little bit of spray from the filter or any overflow from the tank hits the sponge, and over the course of a few days, soaks it. so then the water drips down into the overflow. which has been holding about 2 inches of water for a month or so. remember, the only thing in there covering the hole is a piece of paper, like postcard thickness. somehow the paper formed a seal with the bottom of the tank when it got wet, but it still refuses to let water out through the actual hole. i can't believe it has lasted this long. i know i should get rid of the water, but i worry that if i even look at it wrong there'll be a mess.
