Please help identify spongy plant/algae

[CountryEscape]

I found this spongy type of plant or maybe it's a type of algae in one of my pots I had for the lotuses that I bought ... and which died. I've kept water in the pots hoping the frogs might use them. It's like an airy sponge, if I squeeze it, all water comes out, then it reshapes itself to this size/shape. There are several of these in this one pot, and a couple in another pot. Not seen them in the ponds or stream, though. Wondering if they came with the lotus tubers maybe. I put it on the edge for the pic, BTW.

I also have spongy algae in my stream, and slimy algae in my plant bog.

Are either of these a problem, or is it because of our horrendous heat wave we are having (it's 108 right now as I type ... INSIDE in the AC!!!)? I have been pulling the string algae, but this spongy stuff pretty much dissolves if I try to gather it, unless I use a net. The slimy stuff is where the plant bog doesn't have much circulation, and is pretty much staying put.

 

[j.w]

I found this on the net CE but don't know if it fits your specifics:

• Cladophora algae
  Cladophora is a branching, green filamentous alga, that forms a moss like structure. This algae doesn't appear to be slimy. Threads are very strong and very thin. It grows on rocks and submersed wood exposed to direct light, and in extreme cases will grow on plants also. Usually it tends to stay on one spot, which makes it easy to remove. Comb it and dose more CO2. In a case where Cladophora takes over the grassy plants, mow the plants like the lawn. No algae eater is known to eat this kind of algae.
  Photo credit: Dusko Bojic.
  
  

 

[CountryEscape]

It sure sounds like the stuff I have, and one place it said it stays in one place and is easy to remove (like what I have) and another place it said it takes over and is VERY difficult to remove, loves good water conditions, etc. So .... not sure. It's like someone threw a green sponge into the pot, literally! I grabbed it and it came out like the pic. Nothing was attached to it. There are at least 2 more in that pot like it. It's more like a plant, and although I know that algae is a type of plant, this is more like a plant I would like to keep, but not if it's going to go invasive on me. Now, the slimy and spongy stuff, I'd like to get rid of that. Doesn't seem to be killing the plants (parrots feather mainly), but it looks yucky.

 

[taherrmann4]

I have a bit more algae in my creeks and streams this year than years past. Where I do not have a lot of flow in my bog and some parts of my creek i do get this slimy algae as well. I am not concerned about it though. I also pull most of the algae that i see out of my creeks about twice a week.

 

[CountryEscape]

Todd, I just cleaned out my stream, because I have lots of types of algae in there. Almost no string algae, just the spongy kind, but now I'm noticing this other type, that is more like a "dry" sponge, and it's attached HARD to the rocks on the sides of the stream! Yuck! I'd much prefer string algae ... did I just say that??? ... than this stuff. I can pull the string algae off the sides, this stuff is like it's glued. So, whatever it is, I don't want it any more.