"Do you still believe the amount of the topsoil is causing water retention?" I really do, yes. Topsoil/garden soil quickly compact and hold water so tightly in containers that it will not drain. You could easily have a perched water table of 4-6" depth at the container bottom. For perched water, water movement in containers, and container soils in general, follow the embedded link. This saturated layer of soil at the container's bottom will be completely anaerobic & will promote many species of rot bacteria. Since there are no roots in this soil, it is virtually guaranteed that water will not drain until the water slowly diffuses & is used by the plant or eventually evaporates (some through the walls of terra cotta containers. I think what I just related also explains your question about over-potting, but if you're still unclear on that issue, you can ask here or on the thread linked to. "... when You say "remove as much soil," do you mean any sort of soil attached to the roots when the tree is taken out?" Yes - remove enough soil to allow you to see that the roots are firm and white/tan. All rotten parts of the roots should be removed. If none are rotten (I'm pretty sure this is your problem, though) disregard what I said & return the plant to the pot. "Another issue would probably be the removal of the tree from the pot as this is not a small tree and the root was a foot+ long (deep) when I planted it in to this container so I am not sure how this would play out." First, determine that root rot is the issue. Granted, now is not the ideal time to repot a ficus (btw - you should include your USDA zone and state in your user info - it's very helpful to those offering advice) ;o) but you should look at repotting as a necessary emergent remedy to rotted roots - if no root rot, it's a non-issue. Ficus are very genetically vigorous, and the plant will tolerate a lot of abuse. I grow at least a dozen species as bonsai and the root work I do would be considered extremely radical by some, yet they quickly recover, hardly missing a beat. "When you say "plant to the smaller pot and flush the remaining soil," do you mean to basically wash the root+soil?" Yes "If so, that would be an insurmountable task given I live in an apartment (bathtub is my only choice)." So do it in the tub then. ;o) The root mass will be as small as or smaller than it was before you potted up - so probably not as unmanageable as you think. The purpose of flushing the soil (flush 4-6 times after you saturate it with a volume of water approximately equal to the volume of water the container is in. The purpose of this exercise is to flush out soluble salts from fertilizer and tap water that have accumulated in the soil. These salts, when their levels get too high, prevent the plant from taking up water and the nutrients dissolved in it. This inability to absorb water can cause the plant to die of thirst in a sea of plenty. It actually causes a drought response - yellow, falling leaves. "What kind of fertilizer I must use for this type of tree and time of the year?"Easy to find, are Miracle-Gro 24-8-16 granular all-purpose fertilizer, or Miracle-Gro 12-4-8 liquid. Both are 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers and a very good choice for trees in containers. "I don't have smaller container and frankly the original one was way too small to handle tree of this size." Your tree - your call(s). I guess you're going to have to decide if you trust my judgment or not - and how far you're willing to go to nurse the tree back to good vitality again. I have several dozen perfectly healthy Ficus & lecture to bonsai and other garden-related clubs regularly about their care, if that makes any difference. "What is a "fast soil?" One that drains quickly, is durable/structurally stable, and is well aerated (see the link above). "I've noticed more and more of the leaves are starting to displaying withered (brownish) trait at their "tips" -- not all but enough to grab your attention. Does that signify anything?" If the leaves were falling as a result of a light issue, they would prolly lighten in color & fall when they are evenly green or yellowish green. Marginal (leaf edge) and tip necrosis generally signifies a drought response caused by one or more of: a high level of salts in the soil, under-watering, or over-watering. It could also indicate a nutritional deficiency or toxicity, but it's far less likely than a drought response. Al

It looks like all the overwatered FLFs I've read about on the houseplants forum, and all of them have turned out to be caused by overwatering. 'Overwatering' happens when the soil stays saturated for long periods of time, preventing air from prejudicing oxygen to the roots, leading to dead and rotting roots and a plant that starts to kill and drop leaves its reduced root system can no longer support. You might want to scan the first page or two on that forum for FLF threads, but meanwhile I'll ask a few questions: Does the pot have a drain hole? How do your water--on a schedule, when the top of the soil is dry, or when the soil at the bottom of the pot is dry? Do you give it a fixed volume of water, or water until it drains freely from the pot? Does the pot ever sit in standing water? What kind of soil are you using? Have you potted up (put the plant in a bigger pot with new soil around the existing rootball) or repotted it (removed all old soil from the roots, pruned errant roots, and replaced the soil with all new mix)?

Photos of the white spots? the brown leaves indicate overwatering. No need to close the blinds either.

Here in the Sonoran Desert, trees and shrubs are best planted in the autumn, so they have time to settle in through the autumn, winter, spring before they face the onslaught of summer. Some figs (Ficus benjamin for example) drop leaves in response to changes in moisture level or day length, then grow new ones. So, for a while, leave the "dead" twigs in place until you see what they do. The monsoon humidity should help your trees. If you can keep them alive till October, they should stabilize during the cooler months, and look better by next summer. Good luck!