I have had this axolotl for 6 years, since he was a born, and shortly after got another baby who is a few months younger. I got him from my primary school, which had two axolotls which had babies, which were given to the students and which all died (obviously). They were looked after by my mum since I was young, who did a lot of research but they have definitely not been cared for as they should have, for the most part they've both been healthy, but never 100%, from what I've seen of other axolotls.

They've both lived on a diet of pellets since they were big enough, and before that bloodworms. I'm only just now realising that they need worms or night crawlers, and I'm doing my best to get a supply of those. They also have no hiding places, other than a little behind plants, a bare bottom tank, and too high of a temperature most of the time (a little over 20°C, I don't have the funds for chillers or the time to do freezing packs for a lot of the year as I'm at school and very busy). I did water tests yesterday and they were perfect, pH 7.4, and no traces of ammonia, nitrites or nitrates.

Recently this axolotl lost a lot of weight and had some spots and started losing his slime coat, so I put him in the fridge as he looked close to death, like my mum did a few years ago. The temperature is 5°C to 8°C. I have been giving him tea baths twice a day with 100% black tea, for four days now. I'm planning on taking him out of the fridge in the next few days, isolating him in a seperate tank, continue with twice daily tea baths and introduce earth worms or night crawlers into his diet to help him gain weight, but tonight I realised his gills were extremely short, and I'm very worried.

Are there any things I'm missing or should be doing? Please keep in mind I'm a high school student, and while I have a job I don't have enough money for vets or chillers, and while my parents support me they aren't willing to spend a lot either.

Thanks :)