The first thing to do is to transfer the fish to a holding tank. The water inside should be the same as the aquarium so these creatures won't be stressed from the transfer.

The second step will be to drain some water using a pail. The filtration system must be handled delicately. This is because it contains aerobic bacteria that is essential in the life cycle of both plants and fish inside the aquarium. The only way to do this will be to transfer it with some water in the aquarium to a holding area while the other things are being cleaned.

The other accessories in the aquarium should also be taken out piece by piece and washed with soap. A sponge should then be used to clean the glass in the aquarium. There must be no soap left when it is put back together and the only way to make sure will be wash it with water and leave it to dry for 30 minutes to an hour.

The third step is putting everything back together. You should start with the filter and then load in the other things such as the gravel, the rocks and the plants. Bottled water should then be poured inside.

The remaining water that was used to hold the filtration system can also be poured as long as it is clean and there are no floating debris.

The last part is putting the fish back in. It isn't advisable to throw these in after everything has been fixed. The temperature should be checked to again prevent stress that can be done using a thermometer. When they are the same, the container should be placed over the aquarium so these little creatures can slowly swim back into the aquarium.

A major cleanup of the aquarium should be done every two or three months. It usually takes a couple of hours when doing this to a 10 gallon tank so this could be longer if the tank is bigger.