Want opinions on small tank stocking plan

Okay, i have a 5 gallon planted. I have a betta, 7 embers, and 3 (soon 2 be 5) pygmy cories. I personally think the neons will outgrow a 5 gallon. the rcs and the nerite is fine. I would do something that is a bit smaller. Chile rasboras, galaxy rasboras, ember tetras, ect... the car ride womt really be a problem. Just make sure ur lfs puts them in the HUGE bags. I once had discus in a bag for 5 hours,no problem. Not the best thing 2 do, but they will be fine.
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How do embers compare to neons size-wise? I'm basically just looking for the smallest fish I can readily find in my area, I went with neons bc I thought maybe they'd be smaller than others but if embers or rasboras are smaller I'll totally see what I can find! Thanks so much for your info!!

On the internet it will probably say a inch and a half. But i have had them for 6 months with weekly wc's and a varying diet. They rnt even an inch. A buddy of mine has them in a 29g, everything else the same and they rnt even an inch either, so mine rnt stunted or anything like that. So u could get alot more of them, they will be happier, alittle bit rare, also i like the color more. Just make sure u put a little bit of peat moss in the filter 2 lower the ph (unless it it already around 6.5), and the orange on the males will POP alot more. If u find a small nano fish that u like more than the embers just ask me about it. (U could also do a small group of sparkling gouramis).
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Thanks! I'll have to check out my lfs, there's two near me, one is just a petsmart and they don't have anything rarer than neons (plus I wouldn't necessarily trust their stock) but there's another that specializes in fish and reptiles and I know it's an awesome store but haven't been in there for a while so I'm hopeful. That being said maybe embers aren't the best fo rme bc the pH in my tank now (granted it's only about two days old) is really high, like 7.8+ so I'm trying to fix that

Just get some peat moss.
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will do!

I don't have any experience in a tank that size, honestly, but here is what I would do.

Add in a couple of fish that you'd like and let them live in there for a week, testing the water frequently. At the end of the week check how quickly the nitrates have gone up. Watch the fish on a daily basis and see how active they are and how much room they like to have. If its about half of what is manageable double the amount of fish and repeat. In a 5 gallon I don't think I'd add much more than 5 neons in a 5 gal.

That said, neons are schooling fish and need to be in groups of at least 5 so if that isn't doable you may need to consider moving them up to a larger tank. Also to keep in mind is that smaller tanks stock up nitrates faster and will need more frequent changes. (though doing a water change in a 5 gal shouldn't take longer than say 10 minutes.)

Hope this was helpful!

The tank is too small for neons. How about 2 scarlet badis and some nerites? Mini moth catfish are cool too.

Yes the tank is 2 small for neons. And scarlet badis r a pain 2 get eating. U could do a trio of badis badis. Or instead of the embers u could do galaxy rasboras.
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They have both embers and cpds at the lfs thankfully, they have pretty much anything I could think about stocking tbh, I think I'll end up with embers and maybe some rcs and a nerite

Okay that is a perfect plan.
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The lfs had a really mellow betta in with the embers, would a betta eat the shrimp? Theyre so pretty but I know they can be really temperamental

If u have a lot of moss and u get the shrimp as adults. Then u might be good. But the betta will snack on the babies. But with a lot of moss, some babies should survive.
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Ok, the tank will be modestly planted and I have a marimo moss ball, I'll have to look into getting normal aquatic moss too. Is the pH the embers like okay for rcs and bettas as well? Oh and I got peat moss! I'm gonna measure the pH again in the morning, tanks for the suggestion (sorry for all these questions >.<)

I am not 2 great with shrimp. But i think they like it acidic as well. The betta likes it low, i know that for sure. And yes i meant java moss or christmas tree moss, the shrimp like that more, i believe. I am happy 2 have some1 that actually listens 2 me. But at the same time does a little of there own research as well.
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I wouldn't put embers in a 5 gallon. They DO grow over an inch and while the bioload may not be too large for the tank, the fish need room to swim. I think you should stick to a betta, shirmp and a nerite.

No the most that embers get is 4/5 of an inch. U may get 1 or 2 that reach an inch.
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So it's a month later and my tank is fully cycled and I'm ready to get fish. I've decided on 6 embers, a few shrimp and a nerite for now and potentially a betta in the future but not yet. My question now is how many fish should I get at a time and what order should I introduce them to the tank in, I want to make as few trips to the fish store as possible bc it's kind of a pain to get too, but I don't want to overwhelm the fish or the tank and compromise either.

Also, the pH is pretty consistently 7.8, should I address that before adding fish, I know embers prefer lower than that. I have peat moss in the filter and am probably going to add almond leaves if I can find some at the lfs. I bought a chemical pH down but have been reluctant to use it if I don't have too, and I don't know how temporary/permanent that solution is

Can somebody help me? pleaaase?