I'm kinda scared...please help :P

Hi guys, I just got my axolotl yesterday from a friend and I am yet to see him eat any pellets.

We found him floating at the top of the tank today around half an hour ago but after some ice in the tank, he showed some more life (swimming, moved to bottom).

The water is kinda murky (temperature at average 24C with regular ice) and his gills sometimes increase in their beats.

Do their lips go white? He's also come from a warm spare room without a thermometor.

I really don't want him to die. I've wanted one for years and now I've finally got one and I'm scared

Firstly, don't panic. Axies can go some time without eating and it wont have any adverse effects.

Could you give us some more information on the axie e.g. size, age. Also, have you tested the water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates etc?

24C is quite high for an axie, use the ice bottle method and, if you have 1, use a fan on the surface of the water to try cooling it down.

When you use the ice bottle method use dechlorinated (water conditioned) water in the bottles before freezing it, as if it bursts in your tank it could kill your axie if its straight tap water. U could alternatively use icepacks and float them in the tank, but put them in a ziplock plastic bag to be on safe side. Then swap it for another frozen icepack before it completely melts. Try not to use straight icecubes as this can cause fluctuating temperatures which can be stressful to your axie.

If you could ideally move the tank to the coolest part of the house, and/or keep it away from direct heat sources (windows/sunlight... ) it might help. The fan method will also lower the temperature a degree or 2. Pedestal fans are great for height adjustment and angling at the water surface.

Did you just setup the tank prior to getting him or have you had it running for a while. And is it cycled (read this link on cycling: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml)

Welcome, Todd. Have you kept an aquarium before? There is a lot of important information in the cycling article that Heihei linked. If you don't understand, please ask, but read it carefully first. The water being cloudy is a bad sign, and immediate action may be needed.

You are doing the right thing in trying to keep him cool. Keep at it.

Regarding food, I would recommend trying some other foods to see if you can get him eating. Frozen bloodworms and earthworms are good.