Yes, roots need air (oxygen). Water uptake, and therefore nutrient uptake, are energy driven. In order for the process to occur, plants need to torn the food they make into energy, and that requires oxygen, just as your own body requires oxygen to keep your cells fueled. The reason many terrestrial plants can be grown in water is by virtue of the fact they can change root structure. The roots produced in water are quite different from those produced in a soil-like or highly aerated medium (perlite - screened Turface - calcined DE - seed starting mix, e.g.). Physiologically, you will find these (water) roots to be much more brittle than normal roots due to a much higher percentage of aerenchyma (a tissue with a greater percentage of intercellular air spaces than normal parenchyma - as in terrestrial plants). Aerenchyma tissue is filled with airy compartments. It usually forms in already rooted plants as a result of highly selective cell death and dissolution in the root cortex in response to hypoxic conditions in the rhizosphere (root zone). There are 2 types of aerenchymous tissue. One type is formed by cell differentiation and subsequent collapse, and the other type is formed by cell separation without collapse ( as in water-rooted plants). In both cases, the long continuous air spaces allow diffusion of oxygen (and probably ethylene) from the upper part of the plant to roots that would normally be unavailable to plants with roots growing in hypoxic media. In fresh cuttings placed in water, aerenchymous tissue forms due to the same hypoxic conditions w/o cell death & dissolution. Note too, that under hypoxic (airless - low O2 levels) conditions, ethylene is necessary for aerenchyma to form. This parallels the fact that low oxygen concentrations, as found in water rooting, generally stimulate plants to produce ethylene. For a long while it was believed that high levels of ethylene stimulate adventitious root formation, but lots of recent research proves the reverse to be true. Under hypoxic conditions, like submergence in water, ethylene actually slows down adventitious root formation and elongation. Soggy soils are hard on plants for a couple of reasons. A) Roots can't quickly make back and forth transitions from well-aerated to hypoxic. B) Soggy soils don't allow the roots enough O2 to work efficiently, so root function is impaired or roots die from a lack of O2. C) Gas exchange in soggy soils is poor. O2 diffuses in air about 10,000 times faster than in water, so in transitional situations (aerated to hypoxic) the plant can't get O2 from the soil OR the upper plant organs. Also, since CO2 is heavier than air, soils with poor gas exchange tend to fill with CO2, and hold onto gas byproducts of decomposition - like the CO2 already mentioned, sulfurous gasses, methane ... which is an obvious problem. Al

My peppers from last year were started as EnF, then later converted to NFT. I never saw any indicators of root rot with them. I had to increase the slope from near flat to about 3.5" over 4 feet because the roots were backing up the NFT flow and it was leaking out where the nutrient came in. But after that adjustment, there was never a problem. With my first system, I intentionally created that 1.1/2" lip to hold the extra nutrient around the roots. My thinking, at the time, was the liquid would sustain the plant in case the pump failed. In retrospect, I see the errors in my thinking and have learned much since then. It seems if water is getting trapped behind the plants either your troughs are not sloped enough or your pots are sitting directly on the bottom with too much weight, thus causing an eddy, so to speak. In my system last year the bottom of the netpots was about 1/4" off the trough. I personally think any plant can be grown great in an EnF system as this system most accurately recreates a soil environement. Their downside is a lot of medium and thus a lot of weight, the lack of being able to see the roots well, and they seem more difficult to clean / recycle between crops. Oh and the need to flush the salt buildup off the medium sucks too. NFT, to me, is just a clean looking system. very mobile, less mess and fuss between crops, less electronics to deal with.(you need a good reliable pump, but really nothing else). DWC/Aero hybrids have been good to me, though most of my experience there is with tomatoes. and my current DWC system has been bountiful as well, though again only with tomatoes.

Jason allows you to connect the blower remotely -- up to 15 feet from the tub, so we could put it in the attic space above the bathroom. It will involve running a hose down the wall, I'm sure. We have access to the attic space there and we have available space right above the tub, but it might not work for everyone. They appear to be of comparable quality. The ones I have seen were in shops that sell Bain, Hydro Systems, Victoria and Albert -- and one of them carries some German and Italian lines that are even more exclusive. They all looked and felt to be of very fine quality and no one steered one one or another on quality -- just size, shape, air choices, etc. I was looking at Victoria and Albert (ruled out because we would like some kind of water movement) and Bain when I went in. The only Jason I was at the store where I first heard of them was a air/whirlpool combination with molded armrests -- very different from the clean line free standing tub I was thinking of. I wasn't too impressed, but I started thinking about the MicroSilk feature they also offered and wanted to find out more. When I researched Jason online, I found out they are the Jacuzzi family. The Jacuzzi name brand was sold some time back (think I had heard that and that Jacuzzi brand wasn't what it used to be). After a while, the family got back into the business under the Jason name (JA for Jacuzzi and son for the sons). They have been making tubs under the Jason name since the 1980s and on another thread some folks who have their soaking tubs (as long as 13 years, I think) have responded about being very happy with them. I can't remember if anyone had air, but no one actually had the Microsilk installed yet. Seems they make very good tubs, but until they released the MicroSilk, they were just another quality tub brand trying to squeeze into the marketplace. I think of them as possibly being like my Perlick refrigerator drawers. I heard of them on the kitchen forum here, but they were pretty much an unknown. They had been in the commercial market for years and make a superior product -- we couldn't be happier with them. We are planning on getting a Jason tub when we figure out what we can do about our shower and are ready to redo our bath,. I'm really looking forward to it.

We bought an MTI Harmony which I love. It's very large although a little short of the 47" that you are seeking. These are the specs from tubzlady.com where we found a great deal: MTI Harmony - Elegant style and genteel comfort. General Specifications: 71.25" x 41" x 24" Bathing Well � Length: 62" top / 44" bottom � Width: 32.75" top / 23.5" bottom � Depth at overflow: 21.25" Plumbed Weight: 144 lbs Average Fill: 50 gal to above jet level Maximum Fill: 110 gal to overflow Drop-in Bathtub We went with the whirlpool/airbath combo. I'm not certain if it's available as just a soaker and, if so, if it would be within the budget you want. I found Koren at tubzlady to be very helpful and knowledgable. (I have no affiliation but I've recommended them previously on GW.)