Deleted email alias. Tried to create new account with that alias. Didn't work.

I deleted an alias from my @icloud.com email so I could use it to create a new Apple ID, but for some reason when I tried to register it within seconds, it said that it had been taken. I then emailed that email, and I got back an email saying it could not be delivered, suggesting that the email did not exist. Does anyone know if there are time limits on creating new emails based on deleted aliases?