Thanks for all the great replies! I didn't get a chance to work on the project during my vacation (the days fill up so quickly) so I don't have any real news to report.
I think I agree that the cab is probably the way to go here. It'll also get me home faster so I can set up the system sooner,
AquaDrew - I found a fire extinguisher place on West 26th that says they do refills but don't sell new tanks (
Able Fire Prevention Corp). There's also a place in Brooklyn, Liberty Gas, I believe that will do swap refills.
I'll definitely add a drop checker to the shopping list. And maybe a power head for distribution, though I was also thinking about getting one of those
glass diffusers. Does anyone have experience with those, do they work well?