Cool man. It is exciting starting a new tank but personally, I hate the first 6months or so. I don't like a perfectly clean looking system. I love salt creep, calcium buildup on the glass in the sump, coraline growing everywhere and having to scrape coralline from the display panes.
PS. oh yeah, gotta get some pics up for all to see.
I use Mrs. Wage's pickling lime(limewater or kalwasser) on a drip to maintain calcium and alkalinity and Brightwell's 2 part to occasionally boost calcium and alkalinity. Other than that, there's no trace elements needed that water changes don't provide.
i wouldnt use any chemicals to cycle a saltwater tank, live rock will get the job done, without liverock your cycle will take forever...chemicals or not
