How long does it take for these to get big ?

from a size of about 16cm

Looking to get one for my 5x2x2ft

Incredibly quickly and IMO if your not planning a BIG upgrade in the future then i wouldn't consider it

I was actually speaking to someone yesterday who has 2 in an 8x2x2 and is currently ringing around public aquariums trying to find them a new home as they have both got to around 2 foot in size

My uncle owned an LFS in the UK a few yrs back. Their "display" tank was a 7x2x2 tank with a giant gourami named Charlie - its was exactly 23" long. When you looked through the end of the tank, if he was rubbing his chin against the glass (begging for food) his tail would miss the back panel by about 1/2" !!!

He was a big old brute, shared the tank with two HUGE clarias catfish (each about 15"-18" long), a couple of large pleco's and a few other big fish in the 10-12" range.......

He always seemed happy & healthy, until he died suddenly - from memory I think there was a power cut during a cold night - that shock both the fish and the system - the following day he was dead along with a few other..... the cold had done damage to the filter - so between shock from the cold, and then ammonia from the damaged filter, it was too much and he rolled over ............... apart from that he was happy and healthy for years in the tank.

Thinking of getting one fr my 8x2x2 tank myself.......