Cleaning your aquarium is a simple task and is not much time consuming. Here are few tips for easy and safe cleaning.

• Unplug the light fixtures and other accessories before you start cleaning.
• You need two 10 liter buckets- one for dirty water and another one for fresh water- and a cleaner pump.
• Replace the aquarium water regularly to maintain the nutrient level.
• While cleaning, it would be better to leave the fish in the aquarium itself.
• Do not remove the water completely as there will be certain useful bacteria present in the tank. Remove and replace only 25-30% of water every time.
• Remove the floating debris with a small fish net.
• It is good to clean the gravel while replacing the water.
• You could use an algae scraper to clean the glass of algae. There are some fishes that feeds on algae. Including them in your fish tank will help you maintain it better.
• You need to leave some space between the surface of the water and the aquarium cover.  
• Either clean the filter or replace it every two to three months. Get your power filters and pumps checked and repaired. 
• While cleaning, use siphon to clean the debris from the gravel and decorations.
  Remove the live plants from the tank.
• Move the gravel to one side of the tank so that the wastes will get collected at the other side. Use the siphon to remove the debris from the water and from the gravel.
• Clean your tank at least twice in a month.