So, I got my J & L order today... it came 3 days early! Thanks Canada Post!
I received a HUGE 100 micron filter sock (much larger than I expected it to be, I'll need to do some chopping and sewing to use this thing... good thing my mom owns a serger!), a freshwater and saltwater test kit for the basic stuff (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), a Vertex refractometer (excellent build quality intstrument, though I think it needs recalibrating... bleh), and a full sized tube of black(!) silicone.
Things look promising... I'm phoning the local glass place tommorrow. Originally I was planning acrylic, but since I can't get acrylic locally, glass it is! I'm going to build my upper sump first, to see how good I am at siliconing glass... I can run a nice bead on a tub, but this is a little different. And I've never built a tank before... Is isopropyl alcohol good enough to clean the glass before siliconing?
On a side note, I e-mailed Bayside today about salt, sand, and rock, but the inbox was full. I'll be phoning tommorrow if I can't get an e-mail through.