I have a young RTBS, not quite 1.25". He was in a 20 gallon Q tank but just graduated to my 37 gallon main tank. I can see now that he was not happy in the smaller tank. In the larger tank he was immediately more outgoing, more interactive, livelier, more colorful, etc. And he swims ALL over the 37 gallon. Remember that they are semi-aggressive and FAST...that's a combo that needs a big tank, even when they're little.
The water quality is probably an issue, too. A 2.5 gallon tank must be nearly impossible to keep stable. I can't imagine the pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels remaining stable with no fluctuations. A small amount of water is just hard to maintain, no matter how diligent you are. And if he's not eating his food, for such a small tank you'd have to change the water every day to keep the ammonia from building up.
It's even hard to maintain the temperature of a small tank. Imagine maintaining the temperature of a cup of hot tea versus the temperature of a big pot of boiling water. The cup would be hard to maintain.
I'd say that his problem is very cramped quarters, water quality, and probably temperature. I'm sure you're trying, and not to disparage your efforts but consider putting your well-meaning intentions for this beauty of a fish into a BIG tank.
Zambize
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