I'll do my best to re-describe what we are trying to accomplish, hopefully it makes more sense this time.
Initiate the whole ring in one color (say red), then have a single pixel (white) that takes 2.5 seconds to fade its way around the ring(while the other pixels all still remain the initial color)
Once the single pixel reaches the last position on the ring (LED 23), turn LED 0 (the initial LED) a different color from the initial color (say from red to green). Then the white "counter" pixel starts its 2.5 second revolution from the pixel after the one that has now changed color. Then repeat this for the whole ring, adding to the new color side of the ring every time the LED makes a "revolution" of the LEDs that are left the initial color.
I'm sure I am making it sound way more complicated than it needs to be lol.