Lost Gill filaments and Floating- Hasnt eaten since i got him! please help!

Hey guys,

Was just wondering if you could help....

i have a new sick axie that i purchased about 10-12 days ago now.. he has not eaten since i have got him home from the shop. i know that the change of tank environment can send him off his food... however, in the last week he has lost all his gill filaments, is 'molting' and started to float...

i have removing him from the tank i had him in (all water tests were fine- was done by an aquarium shop and i have been testing it regularly), and have put him in a container that he can touch the bottom... however i am worried that because he hasnt eaten for so long and due to his gill filament loss he has reduced oxygen uptake capabilites, that he is going to have trouble recovering.....

What should i do??

i have heard of fridging, but am worried about doing it as i have heard this also sends them off food, and he already hasnt eaten for so long
Also what are the benefits for doing this? i know that it slows down their metabolic rate, but how does fridging aid in recovery?
How is the correct way to fridge if i must do this? and is there any other things i can do to aid his recovery or get him to eat?

I have attached photos...

Thanks Renee

i hope that my pictures got attached this time

......

Hi Renee, here are the instructions for posting photos:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55492

Theory behind fridging is that (1) you put the animal at a temperature that is well-tolerated by the axie, but not well tolerated by bacteria or fungi (2) you get the axolotl out of excessive heat, if that's a problem and (3) you reduce the axie's metabolic requirement, i.e., they burn very little energy reserves while they are cold.

What kind of foods are you offering? What exactly are your water parameters? You need to test specifically for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. How warm is your water?