database error

i am having a hell of a time trying to get the database connection to work.

i am on an alternate domain with media temple on a grid-service…

my info:
database name: db33428_obscura_blog
database user: db33428_obscura
database password: xxxxxxxx
internal hostname: internal-db.s33428.gridserver.com
external hostname: external-db.s33428.gridserver.com

this is what i have:
define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘db33428_obscura_blog’);
define(‘DB_USER’, ‘db33428_obscura’);
define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘xxxxxx’);
define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’);

*if i change host to ‘internal-db.s33428.gridserver.com’ it directs me to ‘http://localhost:8888/’

*if i change host to the external link i get the error establishing a database connection.

*i feel like this has to do with it being an alternate domain in media temple….i have a blog in the main domain and the connection works fine. media temple tells me its fine just use the internal host…yet that doesnt work.