is my bta dead or dyeing

[jck9]

posted before and havent really found anything out. perameters are good
trate-<10
calc-450
salinity- 1.023
ph-8.2
alk-4.0
it hasnt gotten any better. i tried to mremove it so that if it did die it would not contaminate my whole tank but its foot is still holding on pretty good. pointed a power head at the foot but it would not let go. its been about a week and no improvements. its mouth is gaping and white but no noodle like stuff coming out. what should i do? do i leave it or what. how long after i get it out( if i do )should i wait to replace it? water is not 100% perfect but its not bad. i dont want my clarkii to be homeless and they seem really confused now.

here it is now

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/150112CIMG0898__WinCE_.JPG

 

[jck9]

another pic you can see the mouth

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/150112CIMG0897__WinCE_.JPG

 

[ATX aquarist]

It's really hard to tell b/c those pics are kinda small. It may be sick and is in no way your tanks fault. When you bought it was it sick?

 

[redvipe2010]

get nitrates down to zero. Your salinity is too low. Target 1.026. The pic is hard to see the mouth.

 

[jck9]

ive had it for around 5mos. i do regular 10% water changes. how else could i get the trates down?
this iswhat it looked like about 2-3 weeks ago

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/150112CIMG0822__WinCE_.JPG

 

[jck9]

i meant 20% water changes

 

[ATX aquarist]

what kind of filter do you have? protein skimmer or refugium?

 

[jck9]

20 gal sump. overflow into a filter sock ,then into skimmer section, then into return section

 

[RedEyeElf]

change your socks more often few times a week, add some macro

 

[jck9]

my question is does anyone think it will make it? what should i do? leave it , try to take it out again? if so how should i get it out? i change my sock out every two days. i have a small area ready to be a fuge but havent gotten around to it. whats the best to put in the fuge?
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data...897__WinCE_.JPG

 

[55semireef]

I never came to figure out why your BTA is looking like this. No red flags are raising for me.

 

[jck9]

is there any way of telling if there is someknid of contaminant in the water other than the usuals like nitrate amonia or nitrite? i have been running kent reef carbon in the sump since he started acting like this and all of my tests were inconclusive. i just figure it has to be something? im also afraid to replace it if it diesand there might still be something contaminating the water.

 

[jck9]

i think i figured out what the problem might be. i had some crappy old test strips for my ammonia test. for some reason my ammoniais .25 trite 0 trate is 5 ish why my ammonia went up and the others havent changed is beyond me so i just did anither water change and put a poly filter as the prefilter on the overflow. any other ideas how i can get the amm down. what type of macro should i put in the fuge?