baffled elite mini

[newfiedragon]

I finally managed to baffle my Elite Mini filter with a sponge, but I'm worried that I might have done it incorrectly. Here's a pic of what I've got done...


Has anyone tried baffling one of these this way before? Would it be better to take the attachment off and just cover the outtake hole with the sponge?

I'm a little concerned about it because the water temp seems to have suddenly started to go up. She's currently in an unheated 1.5g tank (I'm having trouble finding a good heater for that size tank in any of the local lfs), and until today, the tank hasn't been in the recommended temp zone. Since this afternoon, the temp has gone up about 3-4 degrees (it's currently at 78-79 degrees). Could the filter be overheating because it's baffled? I've turned it down on it's lowest setting.