Need help identifying what this is..don't think it's algae

[jepuskar]

Hi, my tank is new, cycle is about done. The pic below is from my sump and we are looking at a black baffle which was cleaned about a week ago. I ran my finger through this stuff for reference. It is very slimy. Besides when I'm in the room, less than 20 minutes day, the room is completely dark, so I'm ruling out anything that thrives on light.

The baffles are made out of plywood and water proofed with a liquid membrane from Semco. No other surface in the tank or sump has this slimy stuff, just the baffles, so my thinking is it is most likely related to that, but figured I would check to see if this is something normal otherwise. thanks

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I remember seeing something like this in a previous thread, though I have no idea. The slimy texture rules out sponge and the shape rules out tunicates, I'm thinking some sort of bacteria? And did you say there's plywood in the tank? Anyway maybe @ISpeakForTheSeas can help you out with an ID

 

[slingfox]

Seems risky to use Semco for a major component of a sump---especially if it is causing abnormal growth from the start.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, I’d guess a bacteria of some kind, but I don’t know for sure here. It’s possible that it’s the early growth of an unusual species of sponge with an unusual substrate preference, but that seems a little unlikely. Either way, it’s definitely interesting, and I’d be curious to see pics of it under a microscope (though I doubt it’d help me ID it).

That said, I have to agree with Slingfox that if it’s immediately causing strange growth, that seems a bit risky to use here (I don’t know if it would cause issues or not, but I’d be hesitant to find out).

 

[Kraig]

Whatever this is, I've had it in my small coral qt. I just kept scrapping it off and doing water changes and I think I've gotten past it. Sorry, I have no idea what it is.

 

[jepuskar]

I remember seeing something like this in a previous thread, though I have no idea. The slimy texture rules out sponge and the shape rules out tunicates, I'm thinking some sort of bacteria? And did you say there's plywood in the tank? Anyway maybe @ISpeakForTheSeas can help you out with an ID

The bottom and backwall of the tank is plywood, but sealed with Pond Shield. The sump baffles are plywood sealed with Semco.