Beautiful algae pics...

I would do the blackout, bleaching works well but like you said you will have to bleach EVERYTHING. Do a black out for 3-4 days and dont feed at all during the blackout, that should help a lot. Also the zava fern is reproducing thats why you see the hairy roots growing on the underside of the leaves.

I like blackouts, they don't cost much and help a lot I've heard they don't kill BBA, I guess that wuld be one way to get a positive ID on the algea you are growing. I'd cut way back on feeding and keep up on big frequent water changes. after a 4-5 day blackout, I'd prune scrb or bleach anything with algea left on it. Phosphates are intriuging to me, they seem to materialise in many tanks. If you reduction in feedings and you water changes don't get the under wraps eventually, I'm not sure what to do next.
Dave

A massive cleanup is clearly in order.
Here is what I would do. Make up two buckets of water. Fill one with a solution of water/bleach at a ratio of 25:1. Into the other fill with fresh water, and add to it 3 - 5 times the dosage you use when re-filling the tank with tap water.
Pull everything out of the tank starting with inanimates(rocks, decorations, filter tubes, heaters, in short every thing except filter media), and dip for 10 mins. Pull them out and rinse under the sink well, and then into the bucket with the tap water conditioner in it. Let that set. Wash your hands....they will smell like chlorine.....and dip them into the conditioned water to get rid of all traces of bleach.
Now you either wait 10 more mins. to be sure the conditioner has done it's job, or if there is room in the bucket for the plants, start dipping them in the water/bleach solution.....
Dip plants in water/bleach solution: tender plants(Val.) 45 seconds; hardy plants(anubia)1.5-2.0mins. In order to watch the time, only a few plants can be dipped at a time. Immediately after time is up, rinse well under the faucet and immediately into the freshwater/tap water conditioner mix. Let them sit in it and move on to the next batch of plants for dipping, rinsing and into the conditioner until all plants are dipped and into the conditioned water.
Go to the tank, which should now contain only fish and substrate. First scrub the sides down thoroughly, removing all traces of algae and BBA. Try to cover all areas.
Gravel siphon as much of the surface of gravel as possible. You don't have to go deep(1/2" is fine), but try to cover as much area as possible. Continue siphoning out the water as much as reasonably possible. I have done 90% water changes on tanks during this treatment with no problem. Re-fill.
Replace your plants, rocks, heater, filter etc.
I can't over-emphasize the need to dip your hands into the conditioned water to remove bleach before touching the tank itself.
Take out a sample of tap water, and set it out over night. Then test for P, N, and kH. You need to balance your elements coming out of the tap with other necessary elements, and this combined with your CO2 and a ton of Stem Plants, and Water Sprite, Egeria or Salvinia(floater) should get your tank back on it's feet.
The Bleach bath will kill all BBA, but you should try to get a couple of SAEs to eat any BBA that re-grows.

Len

Something no one mentioned - you should be merciless with algae-infested plants. Cut off all leaves that have more than just a little algae. There is really no point whatsoever keeping sick leaves, - they will not help you fight algae, will keep draining the plant of nutrients and look absolutely horrible. Once your big clean-up is done, keep up with this. Clean the glass at least weekly, and cut off any leaves that have algae on them. You can't really count on bleach dips alone, because you can't bleach a plant every week.

deocder -
Down here we have a great LFS, but they continually mis-label SAEs as 'True Flying Fox'. Annoys the heck out of me. What they have is not a Flying Fox, but an SAE. But they carry them and when I need one or two they are available and inexpensive.
SAE's are the only fish(I have heard there are others), in my experience, that will eat new growth of BBA. The point is that if you think what you have will do the job, go with them. Otos will do a great job on glass algae.
If you decide to look for an SAE or two the name is: Crossocheilus siamensis.

As to the substrate. When you gravel siphon(not too deep, but thorough) you will get a lot of the algae up. After the thorough cleaning and re-setting the tank, adding back lots of plants and getting your ferts. in order, over time you will see a clearing of any residual algae.
Anacharis is a good nutrient user......if it's healthy. When you re-plant, plant the stuff that looks the best, and supplement heavily with stems and the other plants, from the LFS, that I mentioned earlier.

Len

I'm a really impatient person, and what most people would call wasting money, I call "worth the investment".

That tank looks like it has really been neglected to get that out-of-hand. Here's what I would do.............empty as much water from the 55 after taking the fish out. Get a buddy to stand at one end of the tank, and you at the other, lift up, and chuck it out the window, lol, j/k.

But seriously, how can you stand those scratches? I really would throw it all away and start over.


Good luck with the salvage operation,

Serg