Well I feel like a fucking idiot if it is perlite, but I still have my doubts. Notice how they are all rounded, or at least don't have any squared off corners. See how the perlite is about 20-50 times bigger than the little balls, and has boxy corners? Still haven't put it in water though.

When I mix perlite into my soil I do not see anything that shape or that small. Why would I see it when I discard the soil?