I do applaud your intentions for wanting to do something right and rescuing him; but when you rescue an animal you really have to think about what you're doing and if you can provide a better location/environment for him before jumping in. It isn't really that bad if you can get things right just that your timing was out; if you had done this during the winter months you wouldn't have had to worry about the tank cooling until much later only the cycling....
If you talk to your Dad and show him this site and he can ask through your user name about things, he might understand more and be prepared to put him in the fridge.
As your tank is by the sounds of things then possibly in the middle of cycling and with extreme temperatures you will have to sort things out as soon as possible and on a regular daily basis, no slacking and no excuses otherwise you might as well have left him where he was. You rescued him now you have the responsibility of making sure it wasn't a wasted effort on your part by giving him the best chance he has.
Anyway, first things first do a partial 20 or 30% waterchange and then continue to do it every day! Make sure you use dechlorinated water (tapwater with water ager/conditioner/dechlorinator added to remove chlorine and chloramines).
Don't do a full waterchange as you will cause more harm than good.
Also take a sample of water to the petshop and get them to test it, take a little notepad/book and ask them to write the results down in it for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. The most important ones are the first 3 while it's cycling. If they say its normal or high but don't write them down, insist they give you the figures as it's extremely important you keep a record of them so you know how far your tank is in cycling.
Another thing, don't be tempted to buy any products from the petshop, on their advice, that will fix your pH, ammonia or nitrites or speed up cycling. The partial daily waterchanges will fix the ammonia/nitrite levels so your axie has a more comfortable time in the tank.
Next cooling the tank:
You do need to buy a thermometer.
If you're able to move your tank to a cooler part of the house and away from all direct heat/light sources (lights/windows) that would help. I keep 2 of mine in the spare bedroom on the floor curtains/windows closed during the day with a fan blowing across them.
You can use a fan, pedestal fans are good, and angle it so it blows across the surface of tank, this will bring it down a degree or two.
You can use frozen ice bricks sealed in ziplock/sealable plastic bags or bottles of frozen dechlorinated water in a pop/soft drink bottle (has to be dechlorinated in case the water leaks/bursts in tank and harms your axie).
Only thing with the floating bottle/ice brick method is you have to consistently rotate the bricks/bottles to keep a constant temperature so it doesn't fluctuate. So just before the brick/bottle melts completely lift it out and replace with another sealed frozen brick/bottle. You need to do this continuously so you don't have temperature fluctuations and to try and bring the tank temperature below 24 degrees.
Good luck and keep us posted. Any questions you have ask and someone will help.
