Is this algae or something else?

[gardenman]

I've been keeping fish most of my life and I seldom see something I haven't seen before, but this is something I've never seen before.  Whatever it is seems to spread by tendrils and then have flower-like things (really tiny leaves maybe?) closest to the light. Photos will be shown below of one of the roughly quarter-sized things and then an enlargement of it. There are multiple patches of this, whatever it is, on the front glass of my quarantine tank. Most aren't symmetrical but all have the same tendril like growth pattern. It's popping up in multiple sections of the front glass with no apparent connection from one section to the next. I added some ramshorn snails a few weeks ago and that's been the only real change in the tank. Is it a freshwater sponge perhaps? Whatever it is apparently isn't edible as neither my Super Red Bristlenose Pleco or my snails have eaten it. It's pretty much flush to the glass and doesn't intrude much (if at all) into the tank. It's interesting.

[gardenman]

I think I found an answer to my own question. I think it's a slime mold. Interesting. 

[gardenman]

It probably came in on the cholla wood I added to the tank a while back. Slime mold in aquariums is harmless, which is good. They live on decaying material.

[gardenman]

A bit more research shows that the slime mold is likely eating the biofilm on the front glass of the tank and will disappear on its own in a few days/weeks. When I first saw it from across the room I assumed it was snail eggs. When I got closer I could see it wasn't. It's kind of pretty and quite interesting to look at. I'm glad it's not something dangerous.

[Alesha]

Good job with your research! And thanks for sharing it here. It's not something I've ever encountered before either. But now, I'll know what it is if I do! 🙂 

[Dawn T]

I've never seen that before, so this thread was really interesting. Thanks for sharing the photos AND the results of your research. 🙂