Whatever they were, they're gone today.

I'd be guessing but there are a number of fish that will attach eggs to almost any somewhat flat surface, but neither of the ones you mentioned does that as far as I know! I think in both cases the eggs are just scattered loosly almost anywhere around the tank where they settle into gravel or on a surface, but is it possible there are any snails in the tank?? They will attach their very small eggs to surfaces, and the fish may have eaten those!!

Yes I've read on the internet that goldfish and loaches are egg-scatterers. It is possible they were snail eggs but I have never seen a snail in there. I used to have a trapdoor snail in another tank but it died. I did move the java fern, wood and rocks from that tank to this tank.

After reading one web site however, it did say that loach eggs will stick to surfaces , so it's possible I guess, though most likely they'd look like they were in a random pattern on the glass, and I think most snail lay their eggs in straight lines , since they don't manuever so easily as other animals.

I think the mystery is solved! Tonight I saw a snail "circling" around on what looked to be another mass of eggs. I suspect it got into the tank with the anacharis I purchased. I washed the anacharis pretty well but not thoroughly enough. The snal looks about 1 cm in diameter, probably a pond snail. I hope my loaches eat the eggs and any babies that hatch, I don't want my beautiful java ferns decimated.

*flags waving* congratulations...i hvae been following with suspense :)

Anyone know how I determine if it is a pond snail or a ramshorn? It does not look like pond snails I have seen in the past.