Never seen this before

[JustHutch]

Not sure if I’m in the right place but hopefully the water experts can help.

I need to find out what this is but I’m struggling. It’s in an whopping great estate pond, concrete built and has aeration and a fairly decent fish stock. This has been building up on the cables and Pipework for at least a year but is a lot worse this year. Strange stuff, hopefully someone can help. I should probably mention this is UK.

 

[JRS]

Nothing I've seen before. Is that a power cord around it? Consistency? Some type of black algae perhaps but looks almost foamy?

I heard you also have those fatbergs over there...

 

[JustHutch]

That’s the power cable yeah. I haven’t been up there for a while and I didn’t take the pic but I remember it being pretty tough and not foamy. Pretty odd stuff, looks like something you’d find in the sea not a pond.

And haha no, I seriously hope it’s not a fatberg.

 

[Mmathis]

Well, my first thought was a contorted water Lily tuber, but IDK…. Have you tried to cut into it, or scrape it?

 

[JustHutch]

Well, my first thought was a contorted water Lily tuber, but IDK…. Have you tried to cut into it, or scrape it?

There’s no lilies at all so I wouldn’t have thought so. I need to get up there and take a look I guess. I’ll get some better pictures and hopefully all will become clear.

 

[addy1]

If we leave our ropes, hoses in the water at our boat stuff builds up fast on the items. It is possible just some dense algae that has decided to grow there.

 

[GBBUDD]

Looks like waterfall foam to me

 

[JustHutch]

If we leave our ropes, hoses in the water at our boat stuff builds up fast on the items. It is possible just some dense algae that has decided to grow there.

I think you must be right, I’ve been working on ponds for nearly a decade and I’ve just never seen anything like it. I’ll grab a sample when I’m back there and maybe get it under a microscope or something to try and confirm.

 

[Relic]

Looks a bit like my wife's lasagna...

 

[waretrop]

Maybe it's landscape foam..gotaway..

 

[poconojoe]

Agree that it looks like waterfall foam.
What is it's concistancy? Is it rock hard or foam like?

 

[GBBUDD]

IT's black foam that was not pressed into a square. like waterfall foam i guarantee it. if your on the ocean then it may have had a form prior but the surf beat it up to its now shape

 

[Mmathis]

@JustHutch Have you opened it up yet?

 

[JustHutch]

IT's black foam that was not pressed into a square. like waterfall foam i guarantee it. if your on the ocean then it may have had a form prior but the surf beat it up to its now shape

Whatever it is, it’s growing so I can’t see how it can be foam but I’ll cut into the stuff and see when I’m up there next. Won’t be for a week or so but I will update as I’m sure you’re all dying to know

 

[JustHutch]

Does anyone know anything about pectinatella? A slimy mass of organisms that form apparently.

I think there’s different types of pectinatella but here’s a picture for reference.