Algae ID, Help, and Sympathy Please!!!!

[Duffer2]

My job took me down to the US for the entire month of November, I returned for 24 hours, then on vacation with my wife for 2 weeks. I had my father look after the tanks. Here's what I came back to:



I had no algae at all before I left. I have no idea what this stuff is, or how to get rid of it. Clearly I have a nitrate problem, also, my lights ended up being on 24 hours a day for 14 days as my father messed with the timer and didn't reset it.

Here's a close up.



Any ideas what it is and what I should do? Strange thing is that the display tank which is on the same system as this just has a couple small area's of hair algae. Nothing else.

I've been in this stupid hobby for 5 years and I've never had an algae problem. I think I'm looking at the mother of all problems now. I'm seriously at a loss as to what to do. I vacumed for 30 minutes and didn't even make a dent.

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!! As a stupid stop gap measure I've actually place my bio pellet reactor in the tank..... This is redonkulious!!!

Any idea's or thoughts?????