That's highly debated. My silver aro was 3.5 inches less than a year ago...now he's 16 inches. No sign of slowing down either. I know of a silver in Asia that is 51 inches long! Mine is going in my 8 x 4 foot tank in about 2 weeks and I expect he'll need an upgrade in a couple years. They generally start having major problems when they feel confined...jumping, hunger strikes, skittish, ect. In my opinion, a 10 or 12 foot long tank that is at least 4 feet wide would house one for quite a while. Remember that they are known to live 50+ years. I tell people all the time that it takes major commitment to keep a silver aro