Without the root rot, indeed it doesn't sound like overwatering, but i said to check for that just in case - not assume it was.
Also, i'm sticking to my guns on letting your ficus get near dry before watering. On an indoor tree with less airflow than outside you can get problems if it doesn't dry out including bugs, disease and root rot. I'm not sure how many ficus pat has owned but my experience with them is that they need to come CLOSE to drying out (but not completely) but they do enjoy high humidity.
lets also be be clear that watering is very much a product of your environment. Pat is on the west coast - california where, more than likely, he gets much warmer weather that stays mostly in the 70s or warmer. Myself on the east coast, can get cooler spells and a range of weather. I imagine Pat would have less problems with overwatering in his location whereas my location in the northeast is notorious for overwatering.
Don't take my word for it, check out the well respected:
Paul Lesniewicz: Watering - give plenty during growing season from spring to autumn, but less if sited somewhere cooler. Water sparingly in winter, allowing to dry out slightly before watering.
Also:
Read this in its entirety:
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/watering.htm
Quote below from this link:
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/indoors.htm
"There are three basic methods to determine if the plant needs water. My favorite, not necessarily the best, is to simply pick the plant up. Dry plants are significantly lighter than well watered ones. You can easily learn the difference. The second is to scratch the soil with your finger and see how dry it is under the surface. It varies somewhat with soils and volume, but if the soil is dry down past a quarter of an inch, it probably needs watering. If the surface is still moist, it most definitely does not need watering. The third method is the infamous Persiano Pick, a method devised by one our illustrious Internet Bonsai Club (IBC) members. Use a piece of chopstick or wooden skewer as a sort of dipstick. Leave it in planted in the pot. To test for water pull it out and check the moisture on the stick. If the stick is dry or dryish, it's time to water. All of these methods take a little practice, but you should be able to satisfactorily learn one or all of them in about a week. "
And again, my suspicions were overwatering - but again if the roots were okay I suppose I was wrong but none- the-less - overwatering is more common than underwatering. And they can tolerate dry spells.
http://www.bonsaihunk.us/ficusforum...echnique18.html
"
Joe Carriere of JoeBonsai.com writes about a Ficus microcarpa 'Ginseng' that he shipped to Asia. Apparently it wound up somewhere other than with its intended recipient. Four months later the box was returned to Joe unopened and in its original packing. On quick inspection Joe determined that the tree had lost all its leaves and its branches. Despite that fact he continued to water it and with a little tender loving care the Ficus sprouted again and will become a bonsai in the not so distant future.
The moral of the story is that many Ficus have quite an ability to tolerate dehydration. They will recover without much problem if the dryness is short-lived. With more severe dryness they will lose leaves. With more prolonged dryness branches will be lost. Do not discard a dried out Ficus for a month or two - at least - as they can resprout. In general, more Ficus are lost to coninual overwatering and not to a brief period of dryness"