:welcome:
Ya the nitrogen cycle still occurs but much longer and has a much bigger impact to the tank as a whole. Initial cycle can take months and full mature cycle takes over a year, so be sure you know and understand as much as you can about this cycle before adding animals.
A fowlr tank is a great way to get into SW though, and not much harder then most fresh water systems. By far the easiest setup and maintenance. Corals start complicating things as they need more expensive lights, regular and consistent water changes, more flow, expensive controllers, more testing, dosing, ect...
With a fowlr you dont really need any of those and can get by with the basics.
Basics for a Fowlr tank include, skimmer, basic light, circulation pump or two, return pump, heaters, ATO, and RODI
Rules to live by for saltwater:
- Go slow, and be patient
- Dont put anything in your tank that you havent researched fully. Always have a plan and avoid impulse buys.
- Dont put anything in your tank you arent prepared to care for, for its entire lifetime. Many saltwater fish live 20-30 yrs, and get very large, which means inevitable and unavoidable upgrades if you started with a smaller tank.