ID Clear Speckled Circular Mass on Glass

[jefra]

Can anyone help me ID this? It's a clear circular mass roughly the size of a quarter that appeared from nowhere overnight. From a distance it almost looks like salt creep and I tried wiping it off until realizing it's on the inside of the glass. It has a hundred or so tiny bubble-like dots inside the perimeter.

The only thing I'm dosing is Korallen-Zucht Sponge Power - could it be a sponge of some kind? It looks more like a biofilm, but the little dots make me think it may be a more complex organism than bacteria. Maybe eggs but no idea of what kind. Certainly not cerith or trochus, the only snails I have.

Thanks!

 

[saltyhog]

Wow! I don't know. Does it move at all? Let's see if any of the guys have a thought. #reefsquad.

 

[Fudsey]

That is weird.... in for answer.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Could be bacteria or start of coraline algae.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I can't say I've ever seen anything like it in my 15 years in the hobby or snorkeling in the Keys. But I absolutely love to have living things in my reef tank that other people don't have.

It doesn't look harmful, as if looks can be trusted! I'd be inclined to keep it for now and watch it closely. Oh, and keep us all posted! But on the other hand, I know a lot of people don't like having anything in the reef tank that they can't ID as being harmless. So I would blame you if you removed it right away.

How thin is it? Is it soft or hard? Any jelly like consistency to the clear mass?

 

[jefra]

I can't say I've ever seen anything like it in my 15 years in the hobby or snorkeling in the Keys. But I absolutely love to have living things in my reef tank that other people don't have.

It doesn't look harmful, as if looks can be trusted! I'd be inclined to keep it for now and watch it closely. Oh, and keep us all posted! But on the other hand, I know a lot of people don't like having anything in the reef tank that they can't ID as being harmless. So I would blame you if you removed it right away.

How thin is it? Is it soft or hard? Any jelly like consistency to the clear mass?

It's pretty thin, hard, and no jelly consistency. Maybe I'll regret it but curiosity has gotten the better of me and i haven't scraped it off. It's multiplied into two other, smaller circles as of today. One just to the NW of the original big one and another just to the SE. Original growth seems roughly the same - its perimeter may be slightly breaking apart with the little speckles pushing out from it... but too difficult to tell if that's just my imagination. Sorry for the poor pics, it's very difficult to photographic, especially the new smaller growths.

I also noticed this bubbly, brown gelatinous mass suddenly growing in one corner of my tank.

All these odd, sudden growths make me think they are sponges being driven by the Sponge Power I've been dosing.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Lets try and round up some help
#ReefSquad

 

[Act1n1c_L1fe]

the evolution of predatory coraline in camo hunting mode...

 

[rkpetersen]

Could be bacteria or start of coraline algae.

I'm also going to go with algae. Not necessarily coralline. I'd put it under a microscope.

 

[Act1n1c_L1fe]

I'm also going to go with algae. Not necessarily coralline. I'd put it under a microscope.

+1

 

[jefra]

Unfortunately everything I posted about is now gone. I caught my regal angelfish chowing down on the brown jelly stuff so I'm assuming it was a sponge. The clear stuff on the glass disappeared with no explanation. Thanks for all your help.