yeah the sponges are a whitish kind of semi-translucent in color and do look like tiny pineapples. they are from the genus Sycon if i can remember correctly. They are a calcareous sponge and are a good sign of good water quality. Lots of other sponges can develop if given the correct conditions. This most often includes dark areas, and sponges with colors of yellow, pink, blue and whit are fairly common. Those little white things that stick on the glass are more than likely foramniferans, tiny one celled organisms that build calcium shells, some in the shape of tiny snail shells, others in red, or pink, mangled little colonies
good luck
jon