Hi!
In my opinion, there isn’t a true guide for wicking cotton because every tank requires different care. You can best figure out what is most suitable for you through experience. Furthermore, there’s also a difference between cotton and cotton, and it also matters how much cotton you put into the coil.
It would be better to post a picture of the build (from multiple angles if possible) so that the fellow vapers can see what might be the issue causing the RTA/RBA/RDA not to work properly.