Very high nitrite during fishleas cycling

[Alexp08]

Hello. I'm cycling my tank with ammonia, done it quite a few times before but I'm having a issue this time. My nitrite is off the chart. I've passed the maintenance dose of ammonia. I'm testing 0 ammonia, literally off the chart nitrite and about 10ppm of nitrate. All API test kit. I did add tetra safe start and media from a established filter to help speed things along.
But this morning I checked nitrite and it was off the chart, so I did a 80% water change and 12 hours later i just checked and it is off the chart atill. I checked tap water and it is 0 nitrite, and my test kit is working because my lfs got the same result when checking my nitrite. Oh and my ammonia is under .25ppm from tap.

So any help on why my nitrite is outrageous even after a 80% water change? Thanks

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[Demeter32]

I think you are at the point where the first type of bacteria that breaks down the ammonia has caught up and the other kind of bacteria that breaks down the nitrites is still lagging behind. Keep checking the water regularly and wait. I think the nitrites should start going down and the nitrates up.