[+] Search
The search is one of the more complicated and robust modules in the Cichlidbase. A search can be performed using any combination of the presented fields. The module will automatically detect what you have filled in and/or selected and perform a search of all available profiles based on your submitted criteria. In the Cichlidbase we decided to break things down by continents and regions within continents. Some of the regions are still being worked out. For a quick example, if one wanted to find all fish in Lake Malawi one would select Africa from the continents and Lake Malawi from the regions list that shows up after selecting a continent.
The genus field allows a member to execute a partial word search or a complete word search. When you begin typing into the field it executes a small search that returns any valid genera that match what you have typed so far. One can continue typing or you can click on the list of genera below the text box to automatically fill it in. If you do not see the genus you are looking for in the list then you are likely using and older now defunct name. The Cichlidbase is converting your entry to a valid one automatically. If this confuses you then ignore the list and finish typing you genus the Cichlidbase will return the correct result(s) when you search.
The species field can take a partial or a complete name, if you are unclear of the spelling then type what you do know and search based on that.
Fill in the field and search. This is the most difficult field to nail down as there are so many undocumented common/trade names. There is a reason the Cichlidbase functions on scientific names.
Simple select box that should be self explanatory.
The area next to region is empty until you choose a continent. One need not pick a region in order to search, however it will reduce your results.
These are all water chemistry parameters. The idea of this is that new users could search based on the ranges that fit their tap water. This way one can identify fish that will not require muddling with chemistry.
This is the minimum tank size for a species. In the case of some cichlids it will be the smallest tank a single one can be kept in and in the case of others it will be the minimum tanks size for a group or pair. These are not hard set rules but choices we have made to insure you have the best opportunity to enjoy the hobby.
This is the dietary type of the fish. If you already have several Vegetarians from Lake Malawi and you would like to add more you could select Africa and Lake Malawi in continents and regions and then select Vegetarian. This search would return all of the fish that matched the parameters.
List is a raw alphabetical list of all species within the Cichlidbase. It is based on scientific name. One can choose to browse all profiles through this feature. It is also designed to allow spiders to crawl the Cichlidbase and find the profiles, a dynamic application map if you will.
Search results are generated by both Search and List. The search results provide the species name a thumbnail of the cichlid and an action button. In the case of members and guests this button will open a profile for viewing.
This is the profile view, depending on the type of profile you will either be presented with a rather full profile or an identification profile. In order to open a profile in a separate pop up one can click on the phrase "click here to open" which is found at the top of a profile in the blue bar. This feature was designed withe the purpose of allowing people to compare an unlimited amount of species, however if you open all of the species you will likely cause your browser to either crash or slow down considerably. I would suggest limiting one's viewing to five species. The next thing you will see is a picture of the cichlid in question and possibly a line of thumbnails, with descriptions, below it. If you click on a thumbnail that image will load in the place of the larger one. Some profiles will display a slider here as we allow a lot of images per profile in hopes of providing as many ages and situations as possible. The next feature is the Gallery search which is found below the basic information. Below this is a link to the knowledge base article on the species provided one exists. Clicking that link will open a new window or tab with a search of our gallery for images of the species in question. Below this are two fields, one holds the standard BB code to link directly to the profile and the other contains the URL of the profile. This is followed by notes and sources. The notes are typically a paragraph that explains a little more about the species with out going into the detail of an article. The sources are a works cited list. All fields only display if they have information, why have a bunch of blank spaces? Down here you will find another link to open a pop up and the author's name.
First let me thank all members of the Cichlid Forums who have put in time to building the information stored in this database. These individuals have put forth a great effort in adding images, writing and researching. We have a long way to go but with out you folks stepping up this would be an empty shell.
Eschmeyer, W.N. and Fricke, R. (eds.) Catalog of Fishes electronic version (9 September 2009).
http://research.calacademy.org/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.aspBill thank you for the hard work sorting through the maze that is the ICZN and its rulings. We have you to thank for the list of genera we utilize and for the correct spelling of said list. Stan Blum and Jon Fong of the California Academy of Scientists should not be left out of this list. Thank you Stan and Jon for your support, you were invaluable.
We would like to send out an additional thank you to
The CRC Forum both Juan Artigas and his members. Thank you for all of the identification help and the ideas.
If you feel you have been left off of the list by all means contact me.
