You should look to clean your aquarium about once every two or three weeks. This will ensure that your aquarium and the fish in it are healthy, and that everything is looking its best. It is worth putting towels around the tank as you clean. With so much water and movement, it is not uncommon to splash a bit of water around, and it is worth taking action to protect your furniture. Also keep an eye on your fish as you clean. With the lid of the tank off, there may be occasions when they jump out the top, and if they do it is wise to pop them straight back into the water. Usually fish do not need to be removed from the tank as you clean. However, some fish my become agitated from the unusual activity in their tank, so make sure that you keep an eye of them, particularly any larger fish that you may own. No cleaning products are necessary during the clean, only the sponge and the gravel vacuum. Cleaning products could pose a risk to the health of your fish, so be careful not to use them. Anything that you are putting into the tank can be washed with hot water, but not with soap. This too is dangerous to fish.