I'm late coming into this thread, but........
My first saltwater tank was a 10 gal. I was always fighting to keep everything in check, primarily specific gravity (salt). In such a small tank, changes happen quick and you have to really stay on top of it to keep everything with tolerable limits.
If you stick with 10 gal, keep it away from sunlight to control algae growth and water evaporation.
This is definitely a hobby of patience.