[bettababy]

2 guppys (males only is suggested) should do fine in a 2.5 gallon tank, it sounds as if you have sick fish, and on top of the tank cycling, they aren't standing much of a chance.

If it were mine, I'd work with the biospira. This is NOT a chemical, it is a natural bacteria culture in large quantity, and it DOES work. Be careful not to overdose the biospira, as this will cause problems. The packages are sold for larger quantity, so you'll have to do the math and measure it out, then shake the conatainer of biospira very very well before pouring out the dose. The excess biospira would help to cycle your 29 gallon, also... so it shouldn't be wasted.

For a short period of time I would to a .5 gallon water change daily, to ensure all waste is removed from the tank right away. With clean water and good food, your fish may show improvement rapidly. It is very possible you are also dealing with a bacteria issue in your fish, in which meds may be needed. Can you post water params for the 2.5 gallon tank? (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH) Temp? Is there a heater in the tank? Fancy guppys will need a heater to do well, especially in a tank of that size. The less water in a container, the rate of fluctuation, and temp changes regularly can stress the fish. How often is the light on? Watch the temp and see if it changes after the light has been out for an hour or 2, and if so, how much of a change?

I wouldn't give up on the 2.5 gallon tank, I have 4 of them here, and they do great. It is possible to do a lot of things with a tank that size, just be aware that because it is smaller, it may end up needing a little more maintenance than a larger tank. Evaporation rates will have more impact on a smaller tank (even 10 gallons have this problem), so you'll want to keep test kits on hand to use whenever needed. Don't get into the habit of just filling the tank with water when it evaporates because this will concentrate waste levels. Always take some water out before fillilng it up, even if it's a few cupfulls. If you work with live plants and weekly water changes, don't overpopulate the tank or overfeed it, you can get it stable enough to "top off" without worry, but I wouldn't attempt this until the tank is cycled properly.

If you can post more information on the smaller tank and a pic of the guppy, it will be much easier to help you safely.

 

[bettababy]

As of last night the Ammonia was at .5 the Nitrites at 1 and the Nitrates at 0. I do not have a heater in there, I will double check the water temp but it's always fairly warm with the light on, at least as warm as my 29G.

What would I put in the tank for the Biospira to colonize on? The filter is a little too small to put any other media in. Should I maybe take the Charcoal media out and just put in some large pore spongy material like is in my Elite hush filter?

I will also do small water changes daily as well and will post pics of the fish tonight. Almost looks like he has some kind of growths on him

Forgot this, he swims near the top of the tank all the time. He does eat well though.

Ok, one step at a time here...
.5 ammonia, 1.0 nitrite, 0 nitrate tells me that this tank is currently cycling, it just hasn't finished yet. It also tells me that this water quality is toxic to fish, especially something like fancy guppys, and even more so if the fish started out with an illness problem from the start.
As for temp... the temp is warm when the light is on, but likely cools when the light is off. Incandescent bulbs give off quite a bit of heat in a tank of that size. It isn't the warmer temp or cooler temp that will cause the harm so much as the up and down all the time when the light is on and off. A constant temp is important, especially if the fish is sick.

Bacteria will culture in the gravel at the bottom (substrate) and on any rocks and decorations in the tank. While a 2.5 gallon isn't very large, it is still possible and suggested to decorate it as much as possible. The fish will need shelter, and hiding places to reduce stress, and territory to get away from each other. Stress will only add to illness problems, and can cause them to begin with. If you seek out small pieces of rocks and stack them with spaces between them, you'll serve all of these purposes with a small handful of rocks. The less dense the rock, the better for bacteria to culture in. Lava rock and tufa rock are some of the best available for this. Filter media is the other place the bacteria culture will grow. While I see your desire to get as large a bacteria culture as possible, there is no need to go to extremes. You have only 2.5 gallons of water with 1 fish in the tank. Bacteria needs waste to feed it, and thus adding too much culture will only mean that the bacteria will die back to appropriate ratios. You will end up with enough to handle the waste in the tank, no more and no less, and so long as it isn't disturbed, this level will maintain itself. That is a "cycled aquarium". What we are seeking is simply to find that balance.

Once you add the biospira, the results won't be "instant". The bacteria will also need time to eat the waste to break it down. The beneficial bacteria we are speaking of are multiple species of bacteria. One eats ammonia, it's waste product is nitrite, one eats nitrite, the waste product is nitrate...

I would leave the filter media as it is, as this should be plenty of space alongside of the other things I mentioned for a healthy bacteria culture.

I will be watching for the post with the pictures, and I will help all I can.

 

[bettababy]

I'll check in tomorrow as soon as I can get here. Have a good night!

 

[bettababy]

The fish appear to have a bacterial & fungal problem, but it is not safe to medicate with nitrite showing up in the water. The best thing to do right now is to keep up with the water changes, decrease the feedings (every other day what the fish can finish in 1 minute), and give the tank a chance to complete the cycle. If we medicate now, it could be lethal to everything in the tank.

I will agree with not overdoing the biospira, too much of a good thing is no good. Time is the only thing I can suggest at this point, and keep water testing, every day to every other day. Once the water quality is in the clear, I can suggest an effective medication that should help clear up the rest of your problem.

 

[bettababy]

That's great news!!! I'm so glad we were able to help! Keep up with the water changes and all should be fine... also a good idea to check water params about once/month or so just to make sure everything stays stable. As long as the water quality stays good, the fins should heal without any problem.
If you notice any further problems, run those water tests asap and let us know, we're always here to help!