JBL ArtemioSet, JBL Artemio 3: Why doesn't the water from the breeding reactor flow through the fine sieve?
At the beginning, you may actually find that the water from the breeding reactor is not flowing through the fine sieve. This can happen when
- a fresh, dry sieve is used for the first time,
- a used sieve that has not been rinsed properly is used,
- a sieve that is dried out is used.
Possible remedies:
1) Moisten the sieve on both sides beforehand to remove the air from the pores so that the water can flow through freely. 2) Tap on the underside of the sieve. This contact causes the water to be drawn through the sieve and the effect to spread across the surface of the sieve.
This is due to the sieve's fine structure with a mesh size of 150 µm and the so-called cohesion of the water molecules. Water molecules combine to form larger units (clusters), which is why water is liquid between 0 °C and 100 °C. Otherwise, it would be gaseous. When you have a fine, dry sieve, the cohesion prevents the water from passing through initially, because the pores are still filled with air. By contrast, when you have a moist sieve or have established contact on the underside, a suction effect occurs which breaks up the clusters, thereby permitting water to flow through the sieve.