Two micronized waste products were evaluated in a closed recirculation system for their suitability to replace a costly diet of live algae in the culture of the Sudanese fairy shrimp, Streptocephalus proboscideus. The test population was kept at a density of 50 individuals l−1 (sex ratio: 1/1). An agricultural waste product (YM20; mixture of pea and corn), and an industrial waste product (POME; Palm Oil Mill Effluent) were fed at two regimes: 0.1 and 0.2 mg DW animal−1 h−1. The microalga Selenastrum capricornutum, used as a reference diet at a density of 2.0±0.82 × 105 cells ml−1, proved adequate in preliminary screening experiments. The effect of the diets and feeding regimes on selected biological variables and water quality were followed by weekly observations and measurements. Results in terms of growth (= increase in length), cyst production, and mortality were more successful when animals were supplied high densities of YM20 than in all other treatments: mean brood size was 155±6 cysts with a maximum of 266. Length after 6 weeks was about 2 cm while this ranged between 1.4–1.7 cm for the other treatments. Weekly mortality rate was comparable under high food conditions. Mortality rate gradually increased from 5% in the first week to 15% in the last week. Water quality, especially nitrite concentration (measured as NO2-N), was slightly better in the dry food fed than in the algae fed cultures. Present results are promising for large-scale culturing of S. proboscideus in a cost-effective way by making use of agro-industrial waste products.