I am unsure if I should take apart my skimmer and soak it or if these things might possibly be beneficial. They look a tad bit like a sponge but maybe its just detritus?? Can detritus just stick to walls like this?
+1 Evan, pineapple or q-tip sponges. There were tons of them in there when I had the skimmer, I cleaned them all out when I broke it down though. You'll only see them in very low flow places.